tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34419013493377467182018-03-19T06:05:15.640-04:00Quran TafsirSeher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-3809892088554924522011-05-27T15:07:00.002-04:002011-05-27T15:30:30.156-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 109-110<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aQ6xcWs1YHg/Td_7oVU4C4I/AAAAAAAAARk/RJT76bS3HbI/s1600/dua.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aQ6xcWs1YHg/Td_7oVU4C4I/AAAAAAAAARk/RJT76bS3HbI/s320/dua.jpeg" width="244" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The following ayahs are a continuation of the theme we've been looking into for the past few months. That being (i) the relationship of the Bani Israel with Allah (SWT), and (ii) the interaction the Bani Israel had with Prophet Muhammad (SAW) during his time.</span><br /><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><br style="line-height: 17px;" /></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">In ayah 109, Allah (SWT) highlights the motive of the Bani Israel during the time of the Prophet (SAW). Often they would come to the Sahaba and ask them questions about the deen that would confuse them.The Sahabas did not know how to respond because they did not know the intentions of the Bani Israel - were they really sincere in their questions or did they just want to derail the Sahabas from the Straight Path? Allah (SWT) makes what is going on clear by saying, "Many of the people of the Scripture wish that if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their own selves, even after the truth (that Muhammad (SAW) is Allâh's Messenger) has become manifest unto them. But forgive and overlook, till Allâh brings His Command. Verily, Allâh is Able to do all things." They have been asked to not respond to them, and instead, focus on Allah (SWT), as He controls everything.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><br style="line-height: 17px;" /></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">This is the principle of the Muslim in any difficulty. Today's Muslims complain that we live in such a difficult time, saying that the media is trying to hurt the image of Islam by its portrayal of Muslims. We need to remember that the same type of media that exists today existed at the time of the Prophet (SAW), but at a more severe level. People would question and falsely advertise the deen. This was from the kuffar, the dominant force at that time, and also from the People of the Book. These groups would confront the Muslims with negativity, criticizing the Prophet and various aspects of the deen. Their motive was to degrade the religion as well, and they thought that they were at an advantage since Islam was a flickering flame at the time.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><br style="line-height: 17px;" /></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Regarding this, the Prophet (SAW) and the Sahaba were commanded to overlook it and forgive it, as Allah (SWT) is in-charge of all things. Instead of focusing on picking a fight with everyone, they were told to focus on developing a relationship with Allah (SWT). By doing this, one becomes the beloved of Allah and someone close to Him, and thereby Allah takes care of all things for them. When one's focus is Allah then everything else falls into place.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><br style="line-height: 17px;" /></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Overlooking and forgiving is an important concept in Islam. We need to remember that we all have weaknesses, and degrading another person will not improve any situation. If today we find ourselves to be more righteous than before, we have to remember that yesterday we were lacking. A person who picks out flaws in others is the one who is focused on others. Rather, we should focus on the Greatness of Allah and realize that we are all weak, and Allah is All-Powerful. If we focus on Him we will move away our focus from petty things.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><br style="line-height: 17px;" /></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">In the next ayah Allah (SWT) gives more specific advice regarding this matter, "</span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">And establish As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât, and whatever of good (deeds that Allâh loves) you send forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with Allâh. Certainly, Allâh is All-Seer of what you do." This is the way to remove focus from such things:</span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br style="line-height: 15px;" /></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">(i) Establish prayer: Put your energy in it. Literally "iqama" means to straighten something. For example, it's your wedding day, and you're ironing your wedding day clothes. Imagine how you would make sure that every little wrinkle is ironed, and nothing is missed. Then you hold it up in the light and double-check if there any wrinkles left. You would do it to perfection. This is what "iqama" means, to establish prayers and make it perfect and firm: the takbir, the ruku, the sajdah, each and every letter and every single other aspect. This is the advice given to them by Allah (SWT) at time of difficulty.</span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br style="line-height: 15px;" /></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">(ii) Give charity: There are several levels : Partially it's mandated by Allah (2.5% of our wealth should be distributed to the poor annually, known as Zakah) and partially it's the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) - Sadaqah. When the Prophet (SAW) told the Sahabas about the virtues of giving Sadaqah, the Sahabas would would purposely go and find extra jobs in order to give away that money for Sadaqah. This is the second advice given in the time of difficulty.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br style="line-height: 15px;" /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">(iii) They are being reminded that these good acts are going to be put forth for the next Life, which is what we should be working on. Effort needs to be put into the future. For example, if Walmart decides to start up a new store in an area, they don't just throw a dart on a map and say "Ok, let's build it here". A lot of research and effort needs to be put into this investment. Similarly, in the deen we put forward good deeds for the Hereafter.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br style="line-height: 15px;" /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">The focus is not on the problem, but it's on Allah (SWT). When we have a problem, we should not be depressed dwelling on the issue, but rather, we should turn to Allah, for He is always there for us.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br style="line-height: 15px;" /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq to apply this in our daily lives, Ameen</span></span></div></div>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-76751824940067608922011-01-18T13:49:00.004-05:002011-01-18T13:59:11.374-05:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 106-108<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/TTXi-XL7mpI/AAAAAAAAAOo/ByYWCrK9BYA/s1600/100_0363.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/TTXi-XL7mpI/AAAAAAAAAOo/ByYWCrK9BYA/s320/100_0363.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563602475689941650" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">In this post, we will inshaAllah cover the concept of <i>naskh, </i>or abrogation. In this context, this means to bring one law to replace another law. Ayah number 106 reads, "Whenever we abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or one equal to it. Do you not know that Allah is powerful over everything?" <div><br /></div><div>An example of <i>naskh</i> in the worldly sense could be that driving outside a school, the speed limit starts off with 30mph. Over time, people might realize that there are accidents in this area, and decrease the speed limit to 25mph. Similarly, <i>naskh</i> has been used in our traditions as well, both broadly and particularly. An example is that every Prophet who came to this world with their <i>Shariah</i> had abrogated some laws that were given in previous <i>Shariahs, </i>by the will of Allah.<i> </i>It is true that all of the Prophets brought the same concepts- the Oneness of Allah (SWT), basic ways of worshiping, the idea of the Afterlife and how we will be judged based on our deeds in this world, fulfilling the rights of others, etc. However, in some other aspects, abrogration takes place, where the most current <i>Shariah </i>becomes the most dominant one. This is even to the extent that when Isa (AS) comes back to earth, he will be following the <i>Shariah </i>of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as he will then be a part of his <i>ummah</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>An example of laws being replaced is that in previous <i>Shariahs</i>, people were allowed to do <i>sajdah</i> to other people of authority out of respect, but in our <i>Shariah</i> we can only prostrate to Allah (SWT) and no one else. </div><div><br /></div><div>Abrogation did not only occur from Prophet to Prophet, but it also occurred <i>within</i> the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) too. This was unique to the Prophet (SAW) because for the previous Prophets, the Books came all in one go, whereas the Quran was revealed over a long period of time. An example of <i>naskh </i>taking place in the Quran is that in the very beginning of Islam, the prayers that are mandatory upon us now were not mandatory at that time. The prayers became mandatory after the <i>Isra al-mi'raaj</i>, which was 5-6 years into prophethood. It was a gradual process, and people prayed <i>Fajr</i> and<i> Maghrib</i> together. In the initial stages of prayer, certain things were permissible, such as replying to a salaam, shaking someone's hand if greeted, etc. It was a very different kind of <i>ibadah. </i>Then, the prayer evolved to how it is now, where we are not permitted to interact with others. </div><div><br /></div><div>The reason for the changing of laws over time was also to make it easy for Muslims to follow Islam in a gradual manner. Quoting Imam al-Qurtubi, <span class="Apple-style-span">t<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 24px; ">he great Qur'an exegete Maliki jurist and hadith scholar, who said in his tafsir of the Quran: </span></span></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; padding-left: 1ex; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 24px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><blockquote>The prohibition of alcohol occurred in stages and [after] many incidents, for they [the Arabs] used to love to drink it. The first [verse] revealed regarding the matter of alcohol was: "They ask you about alcohol and gambling. Say: 'There is great sin in both although there is some benefit for people…" [Baqarah:219] i.e. [benefit] in their trade. Hence, when this verse was revealed, some people left [alcohol] saying, "We have no need for that in which there is great sin," and some did not leave it saying, "We take [from its] benefit and we leave its sin." Thereafter, the verse was revealed: "Do not approach prayer while you are drunk…" [Nisa:43] So some people left it saying, "We have no need for that which distracts us from the prayer," and some drank it outside the times of prayer until the verse was revealed: "O you who believe! Alcohol, gambling, [sacrificing for] idols, and divining of arrows are only an abomination [of Satan's work…]" [Maidah:90-91]So [alcohol] became prohibited for them such that some of them said, "Allah did not prohibit anything as strictly as alcohol."</blockquote></i></span></span></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>There is another example <i>naskh</i> - the <i>takbeeraat</i>, where Imam Abu Hanifa concluded that we should just raise our hands up in the beginning of prayers. There have been narrations in various <i>ahadith</i> that the Prophet (SAW) would raise his hand in<i> takbeer</i> after his <i>ruku</i>, or after his second <i>sajdah</i>. However, Imam Abu Hanifa claims that these <i>takbeeraat</i> were done in the beginning of Islam, and were slowly lessened, until there was only one time when the hands were raised for <i>takbeer</i>; in the beginning of <i>salah</i>. The Shafii and other madhabs have different opinions though. </div><div><br /></div><div>There is also the example of the direction of the Qiblah, which used to be Jerusalem. Rasul Allah (SAW) had an attachment with the <i>ka'bah </i>and he would pray in such a way that he would face Jerusalem and the <i>ka'bah </i>at the same time when he lived in Makkah. When he moved to Medina, however, this was not possible because the two were in different directions. For the first few months in Medina, he (SAW) faced Jerusalem but still missed facing the Qiblah. Then Allah (SWT) revealed in the Quran that the Qiblah has changed towards the ka'bah now.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now that we understand the term <i>naskh </i>it is important to realize that we cannot just go up to a hadith, for example, and follow it on our own accord without a deeper understanding. People in this day and age just pick up a hadith and they have no idea of the history behind it, or how to apply it, or if it's abrogated. You need to be a scholar of hadith in order to interpret it. Scholars categorize according to principles, and are consistent with it throughout. An example is that Imam Abu Hanifa has a principle that the Quran is the highest source of authority, and cannot be abrogated by something of less weight. For instance, it says in the Quran that it is obligatory during wudhu to wash your hands and arms up until your elbows, wash your face, wipe over the head and wash feet. However, in certain <i>ahadith</i> it is narrated that the Prophet (SAW) sometimes while traveling wiped over his turban rather than his head (seemingly). Imam Abu Hanifa's understanding is that this isn't proof enough to allow men to wipe over turbans because the Quran is of more weight. Therefore, learning about abrogated texts is an essential part of religion, and it is why we cannot randomly derive Islamic law. </div><div><br /></div><div>This particular ayah is based on an incident that occurred after the direction of the Qiblah changed. The Bani Israel asked the Muslims that why would Allah, who Muslims claim is All-Knowing, suddenly change His mind about something? The Bani Israel mocked the Muslims about this issue. They asked if Allah was wrong first then corrected Himself (<i>naudhubillah</i>). This is how they would confuse the sahaaba at that time. The ayah that was revealed beautifully to inform Rasul Allah (SAW) about the changing of the Qiblah was 144 of the same surah, "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><b> </b>Verily! We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's SAW) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall please you, so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid- Al-Harâm (at Makkah)." Apart from fulfilling the deep wish of Rasul Allah (SAW), this <i>naskh</i> was also a test for the companions. <i>Naskh </i>cannot occur anymore because when the Prophet (SAW) completed his hajj the <i>ayah</i> was revealed that "</span><span style="font-size: 12px; "><span>This day, I have perfected your religion for you" [Surah Maidah]. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12px; "><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12px; "><span>Verse 107 continues, "</span></span> Do you not know that to Allah alone belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth? And, you have none, other than Allah, to protect or help you." We are reminded Allah is All-Powerful. Questioning Him does not even make any sense. Then ayah number 108 goes on to say, "Or, do you rather want to ask your Prophet as Musa was asked earlier? And whoever takes to infidelity in exchanges of faith has certainly missed the straight path". This ayah could either be addressing the Bani Israelis- people of the same tribe that used to ask Musa (AS) questions now questions the Prophet (SAW) and Sahaabas about the laws of <i>Shariah, </i>or, it may be addressed towards Sahaabas themselves to refrain from asking excessive questions. This is advice for us as well. We should remember etiquettes of questioning, which briefly are: </div><div><br /></div><div>i) Ask a question that needs an answer - we don't need to get theoretical about everything in Islam. It is pointless to ask "if I make wudhu will Coca-Cola will it count?" We are most likely not going to be in a situation where there is no water around us and only Coca-Cola. This is a random question that is more a form of entertainment than a valid situation.</div><div><br /></div><div>ii) Don't ask questions that are pre-decided. If you ask someone you respect where you should live and give them choices of two neighborhoods, it is against <i>adab </i>to tell him that someone in your family doesn't want to live there if he gives you his answer. What was the point of asking if the person already knew the answer? One should have intention to act upon what they are asking. </div><div><br /></div><div>iii) Ask the question from one source, don't "shop around" and choose the answer you want. This is why we should only follow one <i>madhab</i> or school of thought rather than take different points from each scholar - so that we don't end up following our <i>nafs </i>(desire).</div><div><br /></div><div>iv) Ask at the appropriate time. For example, there is a lack of scholars during our time. If we ask them a question regarding an issue we have, we should realize that they are also answering many other questions, and not expect them to immediately answer our own questions. </div><div><br /></div><div>We should always keep these etiquettes in mind. May Allah (SWT) give us the <i>tawfiq</i> to avoid excessive questioning, remember the <i>adaab </i>of questioning, and may He not make us from among those who are questioned on the Day of Judgement, ameen. </div><div><br /></div></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-76684232470588091232010-12-06T19:32:00.004-05:002011-01-16T22:06:45.082-05:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 104-105<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/TP2DkK8tGhI/AAAAAAAAAM0/RV_aMA9PB1A/s1600/Islamic-imperialism.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/TP2DkK8tGhI/AAAAAAAAAM0/RV_aMA9PB1A/s320/Islamic-imperialism.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547734973427816978" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div>During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), some of the Bani Israel invented a new way to make fun of the Prophet. Ayah 104 reads, "O you who believe , do not say <i>Ra'ina</i>, but say <i>Unzurna</i>, and listen. And for the unbelievers there is a grievous punishment." They would address Rasul Allah (SAW) with "<i>Ra'ina</i>", which in Arabic means "be mindful of us", but in Hebrew, the same word is a curse. The Arabs and Muslims, not knowing the double intention of the Bani Israel, also began to address the Prophet with this word, much to the great glee of the Bani Israelis. Therefore, Allah (SWT) commands the Muslims to address the Prophet by using the word <i>Unzurna</i>, which has the same meaning of "be mindful to us", but with no double meaning. Also, this verse elucidates the point that being even indirectly disrespectful to the Prophet (SAW) constitutes infidelity. This also comes to show that we shouldn't blindly follow other people, as is becoming the norm of today through Westernization. <div><br /></div><div>We continue on to verse number 105, "Those who disbelieve from among the people of the Book, or idolaters, do not like that any good should come to you from your Lord. But Allah chooses for His grace whom He wills. And Allah is the Lord of great bounty". The previous verse described how the Bani Israelis behaved towards the Prophet (SAW), whereas this verse describes their behavior towards Muslims in general. They claimed to be their well-wishers, but didn't mean it. This specific ayah refers to those disbelievers who have been given the Message, know it is the Truth, yet reject it. However, hatred for Muslims will not prevent them from Allah's blessings, as "Allah chooses for His grace whom He wills". We should always be grateful for all of the blessings Allah has bestowed upon us, not taking it for granted. His blessings are infinite and go beyond our imagination. The greatest of all blessings is guidance to the straight path, and we should constantly be making dua to not go astray. </div><div><br /></div><div>May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq to realize His blessings and be ever-grateful, and to refrain from following other cultures when our religion itself is so complete and beautiful. Ameen. </div></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-30628637667964854932010-09-29T08:34:00.002-04:002010-09-29T08:48:42.138-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 102-103<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/TKM1bDWmELI/AAAAAAAAALs/OJl72HfuSwk/s1600/name-of-allah-jj.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/TKM1bDWmELI/AAAAAAAAALs/OJl72HfuSwk/s320/name-of-allah-jj.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522316306959175858" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Hossam Art of Design</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div>Previously, we discussed the Bani Israel mentioned in Surah Al Baqarah and various examples were given about how they caused the displeasure of Allah. By reading this, we gain an understanding of how not to displease Allah, and how to try to gain His pleasure instead. <div><br /></div><div>Every era has something that is special and specific to their time. So for example, in this era, it is science and technology, where the scientific achievements have been higher than any other time. Similarly, the Prophet (SAW) lived in a culture where poetry and language had a big influence on people, and so we can see that the Quran as well was written in a poetic style, to appeal to the people. The era of Hazrat Musa (AS) was of magic, so he was given the miracle of magic. In Hazrat Isa (AS)'s time medicine was very popular, so he was given the miracle of curing. In the next few verses, the time was of when black magic became popular and widely practiced, and this was during the time of Sulaiman (AS). </div><div><br /></div><div>This issue begins with verse 102, "<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">They followed what the Shayâtin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaimân (Solomon). Sulaimân did not disbelieve, but the Shayâtin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two (angels,) Hârût and Mârût, but neither of these two angels taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allâh's Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not. And indeed they knew that the buyers of it (magic) would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their ownselves, if they but knew."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">This verse could have been revealed because </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">i) The Jews thought that Sulaiman (AS) was associated with sorcery and magic. The Quran made sure to deny such a vile allegation against Sulaiman (AS). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">ii) These verses condemn the Jews for indulging in black magic themselves</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">iii) The Jews knew very well that practicing black magic was not only a sin, but it also involved kufr. They also knew that activities of this sort will not benefit them in this world, unless Allah will the black magic to work. This is why the ayah states that they "knew" it, but also states, "if they but knew", because they did not act upon what they knew, making them no different form the ignorant. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">iv) There was a time in which black magic was widely practiced, particularly in Babylon. Seeing its results, ignorant people began to confuse its effects with the miracles of the prophets. some began to think of magicians as holy people, and some began to learn black magic, thinking of it as a divine practice. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">Magic had become a source of misguidance, and Allah sent two angels, Harut and Marut, to inform people about its true nature and its different forms, so that people could distinguish it from the miracles of the prophets. The angels informed the people what they should be careful about and avoid. They also told them that the information they are giving the people about magic should be used as a means to protect their taqwa, and not misused with an evil intent. However, although there were some people who were true to their promise and didn't use magic to harm others, there were others you fell into this evil. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span ><span style="font-size: 12px; ">There are many different kinds of magic. There's one which we are familiar with, where people do "tricks" based on their skills, such as pulling a rabbit out of an empty hat. These are done by quick movements and mechanisms which can be learnt. This is not the magic the Quran is referring to. Another type of magic is one where one of the five senses are casted a spell on. An example is during the time of Musa (AS), where Pharaoh's men had cast a spell on the eyes of people, and they saw something that wasn't there (snakes). This is similar to hypnosis. Another type is black magic, and this is done with the help of jinns and devils. This is when an individual steps into the world of jinns and uses their powers on mankind. Sometimes they have a chant that they repeat many times in a dark, impure place, and they eventually get these beings to come to their side. Impurity is something that attracts evil jinns. That is why when we enter the bathroom we are told to recite the dua, <span >"</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span >O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the male and female jinns". So the people who want to attract the evil jinns use chants, they worship others apart from Allah, which is kufr, and they use najas (impurities) such as blood. Combining these three things together, they call on the evil. After calling on the jinns, they interact with each other and then harm people. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "> Fortunately, such practice is not common in this day and age. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Then there are miracles. Miracles of the prophets are called <i>mu'jizat </i>an</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">d miracles of saints are called <i>karamaat. </i>These are not to be confused with magic. All miracles are acts of Allah. The people who are able to perform miracles are connected to Allah, and we should be careful about not mixing up miracles with magic. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Verse 103 then ends off this topic with "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >And if they had believed and guarded themselves from evil and kept their duty to Allâh, far better would have been the reward from their Lord, if they but knew!"</span></span></div></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-6591276465844984662010-07-10T15:59:00.000-04:002010-07-10T16:00:17.118-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 92-101<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">In the last post, we were on the topic of how the Bani Israel denied Muhammad (SAW) as the Messenger, even though it was clear to them about who it was. </span><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">Ayah 92 continues with the stories of the Bani Israel, "</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">And indeed Mûsa (Moses) came to you with clear proofs, yet you worshipped the calf after he left, and you were Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers)". If we remember the story, the Bani Israel asked Musa (AS) to ask Allah to give them a Book which they can follow. When Musa (AS) had gone to do that, some of these people started worshiping a calf. Musa (AS) freed them from Pharaoh by the grace of Allah, and he had a magic staff that would turn into a snake or produce water. Allah had given him all these signs to prove to the people that he is a true Messenger. However, soon after he left to get the Torah, they started worshiping something apart from Allah (SWT). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; ">Then we move on to the next example in ayah 93, "</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">And (remember) when We took your covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying), "Hold firmly to what We have given you and hear (Our Word). They said, "We have heard and disobeyed." And their hearts absorbed (the worship of) the calf because of their disbelief. Say: "Worst indeed is that which your faith enjoins on you if you are believers." When Musa (AS) brought them the Torah, the Bani Israel said that some of the rulings are too difficult, and so chose what to follow as they pleased. This is when the angels lifted Mt. Sinai over their heads to warn them. That is only when they submitted to the Book, although still not completely. Allah tells them to judge their faith by seeing the result of their iman. We, as well, should question ourselves about our iman if we don't see results like praying, reading the Quran etc.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">The Bani Israel used to say that Paradise is exclusively for them, and not anyone else. Allah responds to this by saying, "</span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">Say to (them): "If the home of the Hereafter with Allâh is indeed for you specially and not for others, of mankind, then long for death if you are truthful." What is being said to them here is that if they are certain that Jannah is for them, then they should wish for death.</span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">Ayah 95 continues, "B</span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">ut they will never long for it because of what their hands have sent before them (i.e. what they have done). And Allâh is All-Aware of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers)" The people knew that if they had wished for death, Allah would have finished them off right then and there. They knew that they were just making excuses to not believe in the Prophet (SAW), because they desired this world. This was their primary disease. </span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">The next ayah claims, "A</span></span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">nd verily, you will find them (the Jews) the greediest of mankind for life and (even greedier) than those who ascribe partners to Allâh (and do not believe in Resurrection - Majus, pagans, and idolaters). Everyone of them wishes that he could be given a life of a thousand years. But the grant of such life will not save him even a little from (due) punishment. And Allâh is All-Seer of what they do." It is essential to not get completely involved in this world, and remember Allah (SWT) and the Hereafter, otherwise, there will be disconnection with Him. </span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">Another thing the Bani Israel would protest against was the fact that Jibrael (AS) was given the duty of conveying Allah's message to the Prophet (SAW). Previously, all of the punishments they had to go through for being disobedient were via Jibrael (AS), and they said that they will not believe in the Quran because it will cause them more problems. They even went to the extent of saying that Mikael (AS) should have been chosen for this task, and he is the angel of rain and mercy. Allah (SWT) replies, "</span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">Say (O Muhammad Peace be upon him ): "Whoever is an enemy to Jibrael (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur'ân) down to your heart by Allâh's Permission, confirming what came before it [i.e. the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] and guidance and glad tidings for the believers." The Quran is not a punishment, it's a guidance for them.</span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">"Whoever is an enemy to Allâh, His Angels, His Messengers, Jibrael (Gabriel) and Mikael (Michael), then verily, Allâh is an enemy to the disbelievers." The Bani Israel were trying to make excuses because of the love for this world. In the next ayah it says, "And</span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "> </span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">indeed We have sent down to you manifest Ayât (these Verses of the Qur'ân which inform in detail about the news of the Jews and their secret intentions, etc.), and none disbelieve in them but Fâsiqûn (those who rebel against Allâh's Command)." This comes to show that only the sinners disbelieve, as it blinds people. The signs were clear, but they did not see it. Sin is a blinder in the deen. People become blinded in many ways. For example, a man takes bribes in order to raise his family, and doesn't see it as a sin. This is not permissible, and we shouldn't make excuses like these in our lives. When we see a mistake in our lives, we should be very quick to thank Allah (SWT) for opening our eyes to it, and that will cause our hearts to open up more and accept our mistakes as flaws. </span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">Ayah 100 and 101 continue, "</span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">I</span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">s it not (the case) that every time they make a covenant, some party among them throw it aside? Nay! (the truth) is most of them believe not. </span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">And when there came to them a Messenger from Allâh (i.e. Muhammad Peace be upon him ) confirming what was with them, a party of those who were given the Scripture threw away the Book of Allâh behind their backs as if they did not know!" This is all due to the disease of attachment to this world. If our hearts long for the deen, then Allah will remove duniya from the heart and fill it with the deen. The heart is always filled with something, either deen or duniya. It's up to us what we choose to fill it with.</span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; ">May Allah give us the tawfiq to distance ourselves from the love of this world, and use the world instead as a tool for getting closer to the deen.</span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></div></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-8458221554994520632010-06-08T18:41:00.003-04:002010-06-30T01:42:00.141-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 87-91<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/TA7HiTrUhtI/AAAAAAAAALE/pPPJuPtDp2g/s1600/islamic-art-in-ibnbatuta-mall.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/TA7HiTrUhtI/AAAAAAAAALE/pPPJuPtDp2g/s320/islamic-art-in-ibnbatuta-mall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480537188767925970" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>The theme of learning what pleases Allah (SWT) and what displeases Him will continue in the next few ayahs, and we learn this through the stories of the Bani Israel. </span></span><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">Ayah 87 states, "</span></span><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">And indeed, We gave Mûsa (Moses) the Book and followed him up with a succession of Messengers. And We gave 'Īsā (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), clear signs and supported him with Rûh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel) A.S.]. Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant? Some you disbelieved and some you killed." </span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">There are many blessings mentioned in this one verse:</span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">i) Musa (AS) was sent down, and so was the Torah. These are 2 blessings. The Bani Israel were oppressed by Pharaoh to the extreme, and Musa (AS) came and freed them. When they asked for a book for their guidance, the Torah was revealed to them. </span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">ii) After Musa (AS), other Messengers came to revive the deen. This was a very special blessing because of the closeness these Messengers had with Allah (SWT)</span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">We, for example, don't have new Messengers coming to us as Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was the Last Messenger. The Bani Israel were given multiple Messengers.</span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">iii) Isa (AS) was also sent to the Bani Israel, but they rejected him. </span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">iv) Angel Jibrael assisted Isa (AS). </span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">The Bani Israel were given all of these blessings, yet their response was that a group of them denied the Messengers, and another group even killed them. The cause of this kind of behavior was a disease in their hearts- their "nafs" or desires. Humans, by nature, have desires. These drive our response to both deen and duniya. If a person allows his or her desires to be molded by the world, then their influence will be worldly. On the other hand, if a person molds his or her character according to the deen, then they will always be accepting what the religion preaches. This is a challenge that befalls every human being. The problem with the Bani Israel was that they were too caught up in the duniya. We should develop our desires according to the deen, and this would be done by constantly reminding each other about the fact that this life is temporary, and the next life is everlasting, and that is what we should be working for. This will make it very easy to submit to the deen. The Sahabas of the Prophet (SAW) were so strong in their faith that they would obey whatever he said immediately. </span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">The next ayah, 88, continues, "And they say, "Our hearts are wrapped (i.e. do not hear or understand Allâh's Word)." Nay, Allâh has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is that which they believe". During the time of the Prophet (SAW), the Bani Israel would say that their hearts are sealed and protected with their own Iman. On the other hand, the most hardest of hearts would change completely and convert to Islam after a few minutes of interaction with the Prophet (SAW). The disbelievers would very easily convert, and the Bani Israel would proudly say that they are well protected from Islam. Here, Allah (SWT) corrects them; that they have been cursed because of their deep kufr. </span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">Ayah 89, "And when there came to them (the Jews), a Book (this Qur'ân) from Allâh confirming what is with them [the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], although aforetime they had invoked Allâh (for coming of Muhammad Peace be upon him ) in order to gain victory over those who disbelieved, then when there came to them that which they had recognised, they disbelieved in it. So let the Curse of Allâh be on the disbelievers." Here, Allah (SWT) highlights how the Quran only confirmed what the Torah, a Book they already had, said. It was not coming from a new source, it was the same God. On top of that, the Bani Israel used to pray for the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to come in order to gain victory over the disbelievers. Yet, when their prayers came true and they recognized it, they didn't believe it. This is because the Prophet was an Arab, and did not come from their lineage. They wanted him to be from the Bani Israel. </span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">The next ayah proceeds on to say, </span></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">"</span></span></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">Miserable is the price for which they have sold their souls, in that they deny (the revelation) which Allah has sent down, in insolent envy that Allah of His Grace should send it to any of His servants He pleases; thus have they drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath. and humiliating is the punishment of those who reject Faith." When the Bani Israel reject Prophet (SAW), they are actually rejecting the Will of Allah (SWT), and that's where the problem arises. We need to remember that we love and respect Prophet Muhammad (SAW) because Allah </span></span><i style="font-style: italic; "><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">chose </span></span></i><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">him. In a hadith, </span></span><span style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">Hazrat Jaabir bin Sumrah (radi Allahu anhu) is reported to have said the following, "I saw the Prophet (sall Allaho alaihi wasallam) on a full moonlit night. The Prophet (sall Allaho alaihi wasallam) was wearing a reddish Jubbah, in other words it had reddish stripes on it. I looked at the Prophet (sall Allaho alaihi wasallam) and then I looked at the full moon. I found that the Prophet (sall Allaho alaihi wasallam) is more beautiful than the full moon." (Tirmizi). What we need to remember, though, is just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is actually the reflection of the light of Allah (SWT). So when we praise the Prophet (SAW) or follow him, we do it the way Allah has told us to, because Allah is the One who made the Prophet who he is. This is the mistake the Bani Israel made. They didn't accept the person that Allah (SWT) chose, merely because of race, and that is what cut them off from the mercy of Allah (SWT). </span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">Ayah 91 goes, </span></span><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">: </span></span></b><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">And when it is said to them (the Jews), "Believe in what Allâh has sent down," they say, "We believe in what was sent down to us." And they disbelieve in that which came after it, while it is the truth confirming what is with them. Say (O Muhammad Peace be upon him to them): "Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allâh aforetime, if you indeed have been believers?" The Bani Israel insisted that they believe in Allah and in the wahy (revelations), but they said that they already received the wahy they were going to follow. (However, in the Torah it already states that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) will come, yet they deny him). The Prophet (SAW) is told to question them that if this is the case, then why did they kill the Prophets before, who came with the same message as is in their Book. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">We will inshaAllah continue with the same theme in the next post. May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq to take lessons from these ayahs, so that we can learn what pleases our Creator, and stay away from what displeases Him. Ameen.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" ;font-size:12px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div></span></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-64972764293012791312010-05-17T21:26:00.003-04:002010-05-19T00:47:45.786-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 85-86<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the previous couple of ayahs, we had started discussing the disgrace that the Bani Israel tribes had to go through for accepting a part of their Scripture (the Torah), and rejecting other parts, according to their own desires. We as Muslims can very easily fall into this same category by accepting a part of the Quran and reject other parts due to our personal desires, and need to be very careful about this. This post will continue on with the narrative, starting with the story of the second tribe (named Bani Quraiza), who did not support the first tribe in their ways, but they had a different story altogether.</span></span><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There was a battle during this time called "The Battle of the Ditch", in which all of the Arabs who were non-Muslims united together to extinguish Islam for once and for all. When the Prophet (SAW) heard about this, he gathered his Sahaba to consult with them the best way to preserve the flickering flame called Islam. A Sahabi named Salman al Farsi came up with the idea that in order to defend themselves, a big ditch can be made around the city of Medina, which will make it difficult for the enemies to cross over. The Muslims would then defend different areas of the ditch, and that would be their method of fighting back - being defensive rather than attacking, mainly. The enemies of Islam then came in a massive amount, but the trench had worked, even though it was a fierce battle outside of the trench. The Muslims were protected inside and they were along with the second Bani Israel tribe with who they had a covenant. However, the people from outside sent a message to the Bani Israel tribe inside, to attack the Muslims from inside Medina, which would be breaking the covenant. But betraying the Muslims in this way, the religion of Islam would be extinguished. The Muslims outside Medina were already barely surviving, so their plan was to get the Bani Quraiza tribe inside to declare war on the Muslims as well, and defeat them all, even though this tribe is actually supposed to be defending one part of the trench. </span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Initially, the leader of the tribe would not even listen to the message given by the leader of the enemies, saying that you are just a fitna to the community, and you have already ruined your own people. The leader of the outside tribe insisted that he just wants to talk, and eventually he said something that made the leader of the second tribe let him in - he said that you have food inside, but you don't want me to have any of it. Have you become so cheap as not to offer your guest any food? And this was like an insult to the tribal leader, and he let him in. So the outside leader now got the chance to convince the second tribe's leader to declare war on the Muslims, thereby bringing back pride on the Bani Israel. The tribal leader was now convinced. Word began to spread that this tribe will break the covenant that they made with the Prophet (SAW), and will fight against the Muslims, until it eventually reached Hazrat Umar (RA). Hazrat Umar went to the Prophet (SAW) and told him the news, and the Prophet was worried, and told him to confirm this, but not tell anyone else if it is true. When Hazrat Umar soon confirmed the news and told the Prophet (SAW), it forced the Prophet to call back a large quantity of troops who were outside Medina protecting the trench to come back to the city and patrol the city to protect them women and children they had left behind. Because of this, the kuffar were finally able to pass over the ditch, since Muslims were not defending it. The kuffar came with full-force to attack the weak defendants now. This was one of the most stressful days for the Prophet (SAW), and he was fighting for so long at the border that he had missed four prayers while in battle. The Sahaba had also missed their prayers, and complained to the Prophet about it, even though their life, deen and family were in jeopardy. Yet, they cared so much about their prayers. The Prophet (SAW) told them that he too has missed his prayers, and they should keep fighting. However, he cursed the enemies for making him miss his prayers. This is how much prayers were valued. </span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There was one man in this battle, who was from the kuffar's side. However, once in a battle before this, he was held captive by the Muslims, and was surprised at how much they took care of him and were gentle with him. This made him have a soft spot for Islam. During this battle, he came to the Prophet (SAW) and converted to Islam. He asked if he could then go to the two tribes pretending he was still a kafir, and deceiving them that way. The Prophet said that war is deception and you can do what you want to do. What this man did was he went to the leader of the second tribe in Medina, and said that the Quraysh are planning to leave the war, and this will leave you fighting alone with the Muslims. You should call 5 eminent people from their tribe to protect you. This way they will make sure that the kuffar don't leave the important men behind. Then he went to the kuffar and said that you don't know what's going on. The Bani Quraiza is planning to turn their back on you. They will ask you for some men, and then they will hand them to the Prophet (SAW), and he will forgive you and you can kill those men. The convert made it a point to tell them that when these people from Bani Quraiza come to ask for the men, it's a sign that they've turned their back on the kuffar. So the men should not be given. Having deceived both the kuffaar and the Bani Israel, this man then left. </span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As planned, the Bani Quraiza asked for the men, and the kuffar figured that it's true that they have turned their back on them. This led to a breaking of connection between the two tribes. Now that the first alliance was broken, the Prophet (SAW) did not have to worry about the inner aspect of Medina. Then Allah sent a severe cold weather and storm to the place which dispersed the enemies even more. The Sahaba were extremely exhausted after this battle, they were tested to the extreme limit. If we look at the ayahs about their state in the Quran during this time, it says that "their hearts were coming out of their throats". That is how bad the situation was. </span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When Prophet Muhammad (SAW) noticed that the kuffar and Quraish were leaving, he began to relax and put down his armor, indicating that the Sahabis can do the same. However, angel Jibrael (AS) came to him and asked why he put down the armor, because the angels who are fighting in this battle hadn't done so yet. Jibrael (AS) said that we need to get the Bani Quraiza, because they broke the covenant. Then Rasul Allah (SAW) made the announcement, "None of you shall pray Asr until you reach the Bani Quraiza". This is a famous hadith. The Muslims then went to the fortress of the Bani Quraiza, making a siege around it. This fortress was very protected and no one had ever broken it before. The tribe decided not to come out of their fortress and didn't fight. Instead, they stayed inside and thought they had enough food to last them, and meanwhile the Prophet (SAW) and his companions would give up and leave. The Prophet (SAW) stayed there for 25 days waiting for them. In the end, the Bani Quraiza decided that they would accept one of the companions to be the arbitrator and settle the dispute. The tribe chose Saad (RA) as their arbitrator, thinking that he would be easy on them because he was connected to the tribe of Aus, which used to be linked to Bani Quraiza before. They thought he would tell them to leave a part of their wealth like the Bani Nazir had to, and they could easily leave. Both the Prophet (SAW) and the tribe decided that Saad (RA) will make the final decision as to what happens to these people. In the end, he decided that the men's head be severed from their neck, and the women and children be held as captives, and this was what was done. This is the extreme disgrace this tribe had to go through because of breaking their trust like this and thinking that Allah (SWT) is not watching them when they made a decision to declare war on the Muslims. They had mocked the Scripture, and so they were humiliated. They are disgraced in this world and the next. </span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The mistake of the two tribes was that they made a mockery of the Words of Allah, choosing what they wanted to and leaving what they desired. Even though their intention initially was a good one, to find the Prophet (SAW) and learn from him, but by making a mockery of the Shariah they called upon themselves this fate. We might think that we as Muslims don't do this, but there are so many examples of people accepting some ayahs of the Quran and rejecting others. For example, we all say that alcohol is haram. But in the same Book, Allah (SWT) prohibits the taking of interest, yet most of us do it. We just ignore this ayah completely sometimes, by buying things on a credit card that we can't afford, or sending our kids for an education which we can't afford. We think it's a necessity, even though the student could go to a community college and save up to go to the good school when he can afford it. Both alcohol and interest are said to be haram, but we choose to follow one and not the other. Sometimes Muslims even follow a part of one ayah and reject a part of the same ayah. There is an ayah that says, "They ask you (O' Muhammad [SAW]) about wine and gambling. Say, in these two things is a very big sin. There is some benefit in it, but the sin of these two is much bigger than the benefit," and so both of these things are impermissible. We all know that going to a casino or trying to play a lotto is haram, but we fail to realize that things like life insurance are a sort of gamble as well. We keep giving money, betting on our life, waiting for the "jackpot" if it's needed. There are some sorts of insurance that the Shariah and scholars give lenience to, like car insurance, because the government mandates a car to be insured. A car is a necessity, and the government requires one to have at least limited liability for a car, so it's allowed. We are not talking about full coverage here, but limited liability. The second exception is health insurance, because the system is so corrupt here that one can't survive without health insurance. Most people are not able to afford the bills of hospitals etc. Life insurance is out of the question, but car and health insurance are allowed because of the current situation. We should still make dua that Allah makes ways for us to get out of these situations, but until then, the scholars say there is room for leniency here. </span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In ayah 86, Allah (SWT) tells us about the main disease, "</span></span><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Those are they who have bought the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter. Their torment shall not be lightened nor shall they be helped." The symptoms of the disease were breaking the covenant, but the main cause of the disease was that they were ready to trade this world with the next. This is the main thing that needs to be cured in all Muslims. The life of the Hereafter is the permanent abode. We shouldn't get misguided in this life by worldly pleasures that are sinful, as they are all temporary pleasures. What remains after sinning for pleasure leaves an emptiness. The real enjoyment is in the Hereafter. Allah (SWT) only prohibits us to look at two things, looking at non-mahrams, and looking at the wealth of the kuffar. Because the world is amassing wealth, yet a Muslim is giving his wealth out to charity. We need to turn our attention to Allah (SWT) and the Everlasting life in order to cure ourselves from this disease. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxecxApple-style-span"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq and wisdom to understand and follow the Quran completely, and may He give us the tawfiq to turn our focus to the Afterlife rather than being absorbed completely in this life. Ameen. </span></span></span></div></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-85757174103707719332010-04-30T14:19:00.006-04:002010-04-30T14:25:26.150-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 84-85<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/S9sgZSiKIlI/AAAAAAAAAK4/ugMFGK0ZHkQ/s1600/Madinah1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/S9sgZSiKIlI/AAAAAAAAAK4/ugMFGK0ZHkQ/s320/Madinah1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465998191588155986" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><span style="color:#000000;">The Bani Israel are people who accepted Judaism, and in verses 84-85 we are continuing with their stories in order to learn what pleases and displeases Allah (SWT). We should strive to do that which brings us the mercy of Allah (SWT), and avoid those things that repel His mercy. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="color:#000000;">Verse 84 reads, "And (remember) when We took your covenant (saying): Shed not the blood of your (people), nor turn out your own people from their dwellings. Then, (this) you ratified and (to this) you bear witness." This is basically a covenant that the Bani Israel took with Allah, making a promise of three essential things. </span></span><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;"> i) Not to kill one another. When someone had decided to follow Musa (AS), they were not allowed to fight or kill one another. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;"> ii) Not to force each other into exile. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;"> iii) This is not mentioned specifically, but the third thing promised here is that if there were any prisoners of war from the tribe, the Bani Israel would take the responsibility of freeing that prisoner. So if another group of people captured people from the Bani Israel, the Bani Israel would have to take it upon themselves to free the person from their tribe. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;">There are different levels of acceptance of an agreement, ranging from doing something without wanting to do it, to doing something with full will-power. Here, the people of the Bani Israel went on to the extent of promising Allah about these things, and bear witnessing that they will fulfill their promise, portraying that they agreed whole-heartedly. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); "><span style="color:#000000;">Verse 85, however, continues on to say that nonetheless, you yourselves (the Bani Israel) killed one another, drove your tribe members away from their homes, assisting your enemies against them in sin and transgression. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; ">This means that the people who made the covenant, broke the promise themselves. The verse then goes on to state, "And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their expulsion was forbidden to you. Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest?" The one promise that these people did fulfill, however, was to give ransom and free any of their tribe members if they were captured by other tribes. It is evident that they are therefore following only some parts of the Torah, and neglecting others. That is why Allah asks them if they only believe in some parts of the Scripture, rejecting whatever they feel like. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; ">This ayah is also related to a case around the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Years before he was born, the Jews knew that a Prophet was about to come, because their Book had described him, and they also knew relatively in which area he would be, meaning around Madinah. The most righteous among the Bani Israel left their homes and moved toward Madinah, seeking the Prophet, and they had a very good intention. They were waiting for him in order to support him and follow him, hoping that the Prophet would bring back glory to them. There were two such righteous groups who moved to Madinah. These two groups started off by living harmoniously together as a family, but as time went on and they interacted more with the local Arabs of the area, the two groups started to have conflicts amongst one another. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; ">There were two major groups of Arabs before the coming of the Prophet (SAW): Aus, and Khazraj. These two groups used to fight frequently with one another, and one of the reasons they wanted the Prophet (SAW) to come to Madinah was to unite the two groups, because they themselves were tired of fighting. When the Jews came into this city, they began to divide themselves as well, taking sides with these two groups. They had come with a positive intention, to follow the Messenger, and they were in it together. However, when they got into the environment of so much fitnah and fighting, they were also caught up in it. That's why it's important to stay in the right environment. So this ayah also refers to these people who fought amongst their own people.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; ">So Allah questions them, about how they are mocking their religion, acting upon one portion of the book while ignoring others. The same ayah continues, "Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment. And Allâh is not unaware of what you do." This highlights 2 things: (i) The basis of this ayah is the mockery of the Book of Allah. (ii) Allah (SWT) highlights the result of that sort of action. It explains how people will be disgraced in this life and the next, and that's exactly what happened with both of these tribes. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; ">If we go into the history of the tribes during the time of the Prophet (SAW), then we can see how this happened. Both of the tribes were waiting for the Last Messenger of Allah in Madinah. They already believed in Allah, the wahy, and were seeking the final Messenger. When Rasul Allah (SAW) saw these qualities, he knew that they were one of the most likely people to enter Islam, making him more inclined towards them, and made a covenant with them, which was to assist the Muslims in the spread of the deen, and in return the Muslims will invite them to the deen, but they did not have to embrace Islam if they didn't want to. So initially, both tribes were protected under this covenant. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; ">There is yet another story related to this one. There was another tribe, whose chief came to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and said he was interested in Islam, but not totally convinced yet. He wanted the Prophet to send over some of his companions to his tribe to teach them about Islam. The Prophet hesitated at first, because the people of the tribe could kill his companions. But the chief assured him that their protection was guaranteed. What the Prophet didn't know was that this was a weak chief, who did not have that much power over his people. And sure enough, when Rasul Allah (SAW) sent around 40 of his companions to the tribe, almost all of them were slaughtered by the tribe on the way itself. The remaining 2 headed back, but one of the men killed 2 men from the tribe that slaughtered the companions. When the Prophet heard about this, he said that there must have been some misunderstanding, and the 2 men who were killed from the other tribe were actually innocent. Therefore, blood money should be sent to the family members. So he went to the wealthy tribe who was assisting them, and asked for them to help out. They did not agree immediately, but said let's discuss it over dinner, with the companions of the Prophet (SAW). When it was time for dinner, there was a strange scene, in which the Prophet entered with the Sahabis and sat down. Meanwhile, the people of the tribe whispered amongst themselves, and some of them at the back were leaving the room quietly. This raised doubt in the Prophet's mind. Then, angel Jibreel came to the Prophet and told him that they are planning to kill you, leave immediately. And without saying a word, the Messenger left. His companions found him in his house a while later, when they realized that he is not going to be returning for dinner, and asked him what happened. The Prophet said that this tribe had broken the covenant, and they should be told to leave Madinah within 10 days or the Muslims will fight them. The tribe decided to stay and fight, because they thought they were more powerful, and also the Muslim hypocrites said they would support them. However, when the battle started, the tribe had less people than the Muslims, because the hypocrites did not join them, and also, as the news spread of the battle, more and more Muslims were coming from all directions to help out. In the end, the tribe told the Prophet that they will prefer to leave. The Prophet said that we had given you the chance to leave earlier, but you did not listen. However, we will let you leave if you take only the wealth that will fit on your camels with you, but leave the rest. This tribe was extremely wealthy, and the people of Madinah were amazed to see them leaving with a large amount of jewels and expensive clothing, and yet there was so much left in Madinah. This wealth was distributed to the poor and to the travelers who came from Makkah to Madinah. And this is how the tribe was made to leave disgracefully. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; ">Then there was the second tribe. They did not support the first tribe in all the planning, and so their covenant with the Muslims was protected. This is why the Prophet (SAW) treated them as equals, even though they did not accept Islam.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px; ">InshaAllah in the next post I will continue this topic about what happened with the second tribe. May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq to learn from these stories, and learn that He is the best of planners, not us. Ameen.</span></span></div></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-60592145994579708102010-03-19T23:41:00.004-04:002010-03-20T00:05:45.318-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 75-83<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/S6RGjjhJ5kI/AAAAAAAAAKM/YSsMeoSXxZo/s1600-h/pink-flower.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/S6RGjjhJ5kI/AAAAAAAAAKM/YSsMeoSXxZo/s320/pink-flower.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450559025668810306" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:small;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We have been discussing the historical stories of the Bani Israel over the past few verses, which have been captured in the Quran as revelations. From these narrations we learnt things that we can do to please Allah, and things that we should avoid that displease Allah. We will continue to go along this same theme. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Verse 75 reads, "</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Do you (faithful believers) desire that they will believe in your religion inspite of the fact that a party of them (Jewish rabbis) used to hear the Word of Allâh [the Torah], then they used to change it knowingly after they understood it?" In this verse, Allah (SWT) narrates a very important trait of the Prophet (SAW), that is, that he (SAW) had a deep desire that every person he came in contact with be guided with the gift of Islam. For each of us, we have so many different aspirations. Our efforts are divided. However, Rasul Allah (SAW) only had one hope and desire, and that was that every person be guided to the Straight Path. It was a very unified focus. Allah (SWT) therefore addresses him and asks about his desire to bring everyone to the right path. In fact, in Surah Al-Kahf, Allah (SWT) narrates how the Prophet (SAW) was on the verge of self-destruction by worrying about people being guided to this deen. This is how deeply it affected him. </span></span></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">However, in this ayah, the whole community of the Prophet (SAW) is addressed here as well, exemplifying that they all had the same desire. These days, we see people worrying about certain groups of people only. Some worry about only Muslims, and how they should be guided, other worry about People of the Books, meaning Christians and Jews, yet others worry about Atheists, since these are people who don't believe in God. Here, it is shown that regardless of the group of people, Rasul Allah (SAW) and his people tried to guide the people of the Bani Israel (Jews), even though they were so openly against him. Allah (SWT) narrates so many stories of how the Bani Israel have went astray, yet Muhammad (SAW) and his people do not give up on them. </span></span></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So here, the Bani Israel are described as those who were given the Book of Allah, yet they changed the words, knowingly. Because of this, they were not moved by the powerful words of the Messenger. Even the kuffaar, who did not believe in Allah, converted to Islam, yet, the Bani Israel could not. This is because they were altering the message of Allah (SWT), which is an extremely dangerous thing to do. These people were scholars of the Bani Israel, and they would either interpret the verse wrongly, or even change the words of Allah to fit their own desires, and did what they themselves thought was good for the community. The common people also went astray by picking out what they wanted to follow from the book, and leaving what they found difficult to do. We should avoid these characteristics. This is what closed the doors of their guidance. Also, this is a mistake that the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">forefathers </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">of the Bani Israel made, and not the current Jews of Rasul Allah's time. Yet, blame is being put on them because they are blindly following the wrongdoings of their forefathers. This is why a scholar has two duties. First, he should verify what earlier scholars have said by going back to the Quran and Hadith, and second, he should pass on this message. </span></span></span></div><div><span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In our day and age, none of us is going to stand up and openly say that we will change the words of the Quran. However, this can be done on different levels. For example, many of us know Islamic rulings but purposely avoid them in order to follow our own opinions. We make excuses based on our own knowledge. This is especially the case if someone has been disobeying Allah (SWT) for a large portion of his life, then suddenly turns to Islam. He still does not have the proper knowledge, and gives his opinion rather than what is said in the Quran. We must learn to be balanced in both our deen and duniya in order to have the correct approach. Even if someone is too focused on deen and ignores the worldly life entirely, it is problematic because he will not know how to approach people, and his stance on religion will be impractical, therefore pushing people away from the deen. The other extreme is those people who are focused on the worldly life, which gives them a high status, making them believe that they have some sort of authority to comment on the deen. They don't have enough knowledge of the deen because of lack of training in Islam. We should try to equalize the amount of secular knowledge we have with Islamic knowledge, in order to balance things out. </span></span></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Verse 76 proceeds by talking about those in the Bani Israel who were hypocritical, and said to the Muslims that they believed, yet when amongst themselves they would disbelieve in the Messenger (SAW). Apart from this, there was a small group of the Bani Israel which sincerely did accept the Prophet (SAW), but this group was only a small handful. The group of people who were trying to fool the Muslims into believing that they were Muslims as well did so because they saw the Muslims were gaining power and there was business, political and social gain. These hypocrites would go to the people of Bani Israel who outwardly disbelieved, and those who openly rejected Islam questioned the hypocrites about why they told the Muslims what is in their Torah. In the original Torah, it gave a description of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and how he would come in the future. The hypocrites would go to the Muslims and tell them that we believe in Islam because of these verses in the Torah. The people who openly disbelieved asked the hypocrites why they gave the Muslims this information, because now the Muslims can argue with the Bani Israel and tell them that the Torah itself says they should believe in Muhammad (SAW). </span></span></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They thought they were discussing these things secretly, but Allah claims in ayah 77, "</span></span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Know they (Jews) not that Allâh knows what they conceal and what they reveal?"</span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Verse 78 continues, "And there are among them (Jews) illiterate people, who know not the Book, but they trust upon false desires and they but guess." This refers back to the people who are not learned in religion, yet voice out their opinions on this matter. We think that we are all literate, but there is a degree of illiteracy within us because we don't know how to read or understand the Quran properly, and we will not be fully literate until we fully understand the Quran. Then the blame goes back to the scholars who changed the words of Allah in the Torah, "Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allâh," to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby."</span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In verse 80, Allah (SWT) gives an example of one of the things the Bani Israel made up in the Torah due to their own desires, "And they (Jews) say, "The Fire (i.e. Hell-fire on the Day of Resurrection) shall not touch us but for a few numbered days." Say (O Muhammad Peace be upon him to them): "Have you taken a covenant from Allâh, so that Allâh will not break His Covenant? Or is it that you say of Allâh what you know not?" The Bani Israel were in a deep misunderstanding about this point. Every prophet has said that if you believe in Allah and His Messengers, yet you sin in this world more than doing good deeds, then you will be put into the Hellfire for a numbered days, then eventually to Heaven. However, what these people failed to understand was that all of the prophets are to be followed, and after Musa (AS)'s shariah/law, people will have to follow Muhammad (SAW)'s shariah. This had been revealed to them in the Torah earlier, but they chose to ignore it. The second point is that they themselves altered the deen of Musa (AS). </span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Alah (SWT) makes it clear in the next two ayahs that those who do evil and are surrounded by sin will dwell in the Hellfire, and those who believed in the Oneness of Allah and do righteous deeds are the dwellers of Paradise. </span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The next ayah then fits into the context of this situation, "And (remember) when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel, (saying): Worship none save Allah (only), and be good to parents and to kindred and to orphans and the needy, and speak kindly to mankind; and establish worship and pay the poor-due. Then, after that, you slid back, save a few of you, being averse." Allah (SWT) tells the Bani Israel not to make excuses that they are following the deen of Musa (AS), because they are not following the covenant. They fail to see that the same things Musa (AS) called his people to, Muhammad (SAW) is also telling his people to do. </span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An important point mentioned in this covenant is that we should speak kindly and gently to others. Unfortunately, we are lacking in this aspect at times. In a hadith the Prophet (SAW) said, "One should say good, or he should stay quiet". This is a very short hadith but summarizes it all. This is so emphasized in Islam, that when Allah (SWT) sent Musa (AS) to Pharaoh to guide him, he was told to do his preaching in a soft-spoken manner. Such an eminent enemy of Allah (SWT) is also being spoken gently to. So, even in the case of speaking to non-Muslims, we have been commanded to do so softly. </span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><b style="text-indent: 0in !important; "><span style="text-indent: 0in !important; font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq to live by the Quran in a proper manner rather than by following our own desires. </span></span></span></b></span></b></span></div></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-35253977625638600912010-02-18T15:18:00.001-05:002010-02-20T00:00:35.880-05:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 65-74<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(68, 68, 68); line-height: 23px; font-family:arial;font-size:small;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;">The story of the Bani Israel continues, where Allah narrates various stories in the history of the Bani Israel about how they disobeyed Allah and His Messengers. These stories are for us to learn how to please Allah (SWT) and learn what angers Him. The stories are not to look down upon the group of people who have been discussed here. An example is then given of how the Bani Israel turned away from Allah in a different situation:<br /><br />Ayah 65: "And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, "Be apes, despised."<br /><br />A part of the Jewish tradition is Sabbath, in which they are not allowed to work or do business. At the time of Dawud (AS), the way they would work is they would catch fish. However, they had a feeling that the best day to catch fish was Saturday. This is since they weren't supposed to work, and do their religious duties instead, they felt it must be a good day to fish. They then began to play tricks. What they would do is put a net in the water and the fish would get caught in it that day, and on Sunday they would pull the net out. By doing this they thought they were bypassing the Shariah. During this time, a conflict arose between two groups of the Bani Israel. One group was righteous, and said that what they are doing is wrong and against the Shariah. Sabbath is not supposed to be a working day. The group that came up with the idea, however, said that they are not going against the Shariah. They are only catching the fish on Saturday, and then taking it on Sunday, so that should be permissible. The righteous people then moved out of the city and isolated those going astray, because they knew that Allah's punishment would come upon those who are disobedient to Allah. One day what happened was that one day the righteous group who had moved out from the city did not hear any noise coming from the city, and went back to see what was going on. They then saw that their relatives had been turned into apes. The facial features allowed the people to recognize who the apes were, yet they could do nothing about it. Within 3 days, all of the apes had died, and that is how the city was destroyed. So here Allah (SWT) highlights that if it wasn't for Allah's mercy, the Bani Israel in Musa (AS)'s time would have become losers, like this group of people discussed in this ayah.<br /><br />In the next ayah, the Quran continues, "And We made it a deterrent punishment for those who were present and those who succeeded [them] and a lesson for those who fear Allah ." This incident has been made an example for the people at that time, and all the people who came after them until the Day of Judgement, since this story is preserved in the Quran until that day.<br /><br />Ayah 67 reads, "And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "Indeed, Allah commands you to slaughter a cow." They said, "Do you take us in ridicule?" He said, "I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant." This story is important because the whole surah (Baqarah), is named after this story. the background of this story is that among the Bani Israel, one day there was a murder. No one knew who the murderer was. There are two possible reasons for the murder, in two narrations:<br /> i) A man came to a girl's father, and asked for her hand in marriage. The father said no, so the man killed him .<br /> ii) There was a nephew who had a rich uncle who could not have children. This nephew killed the uncle, and put the dead body on the doorstep of another person. The next morning, people saw the dead body and thought that the man whose doorstep the body is on had killed the uncle. He said that he didn't, and a big fight erupted between the Bani Israel. The elders of the community said that there is no need to fight, since they have Musa (AS) with them, and so he should be asked.<br /><br />When Musa (AS) was narrated this story, he made dua to Allah (SWT), and Allah commanded them to sacrifice a cow. The Bani Israel asked Musa (AS) if he was joking, not believing what he said. Musa (AS) replied that he seeks refuge from the ignorant people. What Allah has said cannot be a joke. What they were supposed to do was kill the animal, take a part of it and hit the dead man, and it would be revealed to them who the murderer was.<br /><br />However, the Bani Israel continued asking questions. In ayah 68 it says, "They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is." [Moses] said, "[ Allah ] says, 'It is a cow which is neither old nor virgin, but median between that,' so do what you are commanded."<br /><br />In the initial command, Allah had told them to sacrifice a cow, and were they to kill any cow, it would have been accepted from them. The way they told Musa (AS) to make dua is they said "Call upon </span><i style="font-style: italic; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;">your </span></i><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;">Lord". Allah is everybody's Lord. Allah then responds that the cow is neither too old or too young, but in the middle, so do what you were told to do. </span><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;">They again continue asking questions, "<span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; ">They said, "Call upon your Lord to show us what is her color." He said, "He says, 'It is a yellow cow, bright in color - pleasing to the observers.' "They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is. Indeed, [all] cows look alike to us. And indeed we, if Allah wills, will be guided." <span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; ">In one hadīth [it is reported]: 'Had they not uttered inshā'a Llāh, it would never have been made clear to them. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;">"He said, "He says, 'It is a cow neither trained to plow the earth nor to irrigate the field, one free from fault with no spot upon her.' " They said, "Now you have come with the truth." So they slaughtered her, but they could hardly do it." In a hadith, it is very clear that had they killed any cow, it would have been accepted from them. By creating all this questioning, they actually created problems for themselves. When they finally found the right cow, then it belonged to an individual who didn't want to give it. He finally said that the only way he will give his cow is if they return the cow's skin full of gold in its place. So that is what the Bani Israel had to go through, all because they did not know the a'daab of asking questions. It's always good to question, but with sincerity. These people were not being sincere, they were making fun of the Shariah. The Sahaba were very careful about what it meant by sincere questioning. In fact, it comes in a narration that they only asked 12-14 question in total to the Prophet (SAW). When an outside person used to come, they would love it, since people would ask questions and they could hear the answers. The 12-14 questions that were asked by the Sahabas were so important, that the answers were narrated by Allah. In the Quran, examples of both extremes have been narrated; those who ask useful questions, and those who ask questions for no purpose. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;">The next part of the story continues, "</span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;">And [recall] when you slew a man and disputed over it, but Allah was to bring out that which you were concealing". This is the first part of the cow story. Since Allah has put this part of the story in the second part, the story of the cow is emphasized more. The story of the cow is separate from this story. The Quran continues, "So, We said, "Strike the slain man with part of it." Thus does Allah bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason." When the cow was killed, the people hit a part of it on the dead man, who pointed to his nephew and said that he killed him, and then died again. This point shows that Allah can bring a dead person back to life, and this is what will happen to us on the Day of Judgement. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;">Ayah 74: "Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah . And Allah is not unaware of what you do." This ayah highlights that the heart can have many different states. Sometimes hearts can become as hard as rocks. Some hearts are alive, others are dead. The people whose hearts are alive enjoy the Quran, hadith, the dhikr of Allah. Those people whose hearts are dead are the people who just don't care, and their heart is sealed. This ayah speaks of the diseases of the heart. The heart can be seen from a health point of view, and a spiritual point of view. Here, the spiritual aspect is being discussed. Like the body which is functioned to do different things, the heart also has different functions. Naturally, the heart likes to do dhikr, pray, be in the company of the pious etc. When we find that our heart is not doing what it's supposed to do, we should know it's a problem and try to rectify it. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-family:tahoma, sans-serif;">May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq to learn from these various narrations, and protect us from disobeying his ayaat and earning His wrath. </span></span></span></span></div></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-4914724183242395742009-12-09T22:11:00.000-05:002009-12-29T20:33:34.346-05:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 58-64<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/7374/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagz4.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 463px; height: 324px;" src="http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/7374/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagz4.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-indent: 0in !important; font-family:Arial;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">In the next set of ayahs, Allah (SWT) continues to discuss the benefits bestowed upon the Bani Israel. The reason why Allah mentions these people and the blessings in the Quran is to teach us a lesson. The Bani Israel turning away from Allah does not affect Him in anyway, but it does affect the people.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><div>Verse 58 states, "<span style=" ;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">And (remember) when We said: "Enter this town (Jerusalem) and eat bountifully therein with pleasure and delight wherever you wish, and enter the gate in prostration (or bowing with humility) and say: 'Forgive us,' and We shall forgive you your sins and shall increase (reward) for the good-doers."</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:12px;">The Bani Israel were told to go enjoy themselves in this city, but with the condition that they enter in a humble manner while saying "Forgive us", or "Hi'tattun", as it is said in Arabic. However, when entering, they changed the word Allah told them to say as stated in the next ayah, "But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on the transgressors a plague from heaven, for that they infringed (our command) repeatedly." Instead of saying "Hi'tattun", which means "forgive us", they said "Hintattuan", which means "wheat". They were calling upon the food that they were expecting to eat. Because of this, a plague descended upon them in which 70,000 people died. Not all of the Bani Israel were wrongdoers, there were some who were sincere and obeyed Allah. However, when a calamity strikes a place, it's because the wrongdoers are punished for their ways, and the righteous have a quicker means to meet their Lord. Allah does not punish a group of people until they bring the punishment on to themselves. Allah (SWT) actually makes excuses after excuses for us to enter Jannah and forgive our sins, but hardships are sent as a reminder to remember life after death. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;">In the following verse, Allah mentions another blessing which was bestowed upon the Bani Israel, that being the water which Musa (AS) prayed for for his people. Allah said to Musa (AS), "'Strike with your staff the stone.' And there gushed forth from it twelve springs." The 12 springs were for the 12 different tribes with him. Allah then told them to, "Eat and drink from the provision of Allah, and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption." In the valley of Teeh, the Bani Israel lacked water, so they told Musa (AS) to pray for water. Allah then told Musa (AS) to hit his staff on a particular rock, thereby creating 12 springs which gushed forth. This miracle also aims to strengthen the faith of the group of people present at that time there. This is also a blessing.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;">Then the Bani Israel said to Musa (AS), that "We can never be patient with one kind of food", and told him to call upon Allah to give them things such as green herbs, cucumbers, garlic, lentils and onions. This again showed their ungratefulness with what they had, and they were not being humble, constantly complaining. This earned Allah's anger, because they were continuously transgressing. They were tired of the blessing Allah had given them of manna and salwa, and said they cannot endure this any longer, and wanted more variety in food, even though they were being punished for not fighting against those who conquered Syria, and backing out. Also, it is so common even for us in our everyday life to complain about eating the same food everyday, or getting bored of other such things. The Bani Israel are mentioned in the Quran so that we learn what we should avoid doing, so as to gain the pleasure of Allah! Yet we continue doing the same, without even realizing. We should always be grateful for what we have, and consider it a blessing from Allah. It is a sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) that he never ever complained about the food he got, whatever it may be. He was always thankful, and knew that when you start to complain, you deny Allah's blessings on you.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;">It says in ayah 61 that the Bani Israel "[repeatedly] disbelieved in the signs of Allah and killed the prophets without right". Now, it may seems that, since in our time, we don't have any prophets, we would not be able to follow this act. However, it is possible. This is by killing the <i>sunnah</i> of the Prophet (SAW). We have various ahadith which talk about how the Messenger (SAW) used to talk, eat, sleep, walk, and pretty much everything else. Not following it is killing it, and following it is bringing to life the sunnah of the Prophet (SAW). </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;">Verse 62 highlights Allah's mercy, as He claims that if any Jew, Christian or Sabean (star worshipers before Muhammad (SAW)'s time) convert and believe in Allah and the Last Day, then all of their past life will be erased and they will start off a new Muslims. Allah will reward them, and they will not have to fear or grieve. This is also a blessing from Allah.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;">The next blessing is in verse 63, which says, " And recall when We took your covenant {O Bani Israel, to abide by the Torah] and We raised over you the mount, [saying], 'Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that perhaps you may become righteous." This ties back in to what we mentioned previously, that the Bani Israel asked Musa (AS) to ask Allah for a Book to abide to the Law, after the demise of Pharaoh. When they received the Torah, they saw that the rules were very strict. They actually needed such rules because the majority of them was a disobedient group who did not listen to Allah's commandments. After seeing these rulings, they said that we should just do as much as we can, Allah will forgive us for what we can't follow. This is something common people say in this day and age as well when disobeying what is written in the Quran. Eventually the Bani Israel stopped following the rules in the Torah because they thought it was too difficult. The covenant was that the Bani Israel had previously agreed to follow what Allah says, and now they were disagreeing, therefore breaking the covenant. Allah then raised a mountain over their heads and said they are breaking the covenant, and if they don't follow it they will be crushed. that is what it took for them to believe, after these numerous clear signs from Allah. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;">The next ayah says that they went back to the their old ways after this incident, and if it wasn't for Allah's mercy, they would have been among the losers. Allah's mercy will only descend upon us if we follow the Shariah. If we are not following the Islamic Law yet we have a good life, then it a merely a test, not a blessing. The various stories of the Bani Israel are not in the Quran for our entertainment. We have to learn from them, to avoid having the same consequences as them. These stories are a serious and harsh reminder of the power and mercy of Allah. We should read these narrations and reflect about whether we have been thankful for the food Allah has blessed us with, or do we say we're sick of stuff? Are we really fulfilling the Shariah of Allah or are we making excuses that we live in a different time and place from 1400 years ago, so we will be excused? Or that Allah will forgive us and we don't need to worry about it? These are the same things the Bani Israel said. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:12px;">Summary: </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:12px;">i) We are still discussing the Bani Israel and what they were like in Musa (AS)'s time</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:12px;">ii) They disobeyed Allah in various incidents. The first one for today is changing the words that Allah told them to say, therefore not asking for forgiveness.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:12px;">iii)One of the numerous blessings given to the Bani Israel include 12 springs of water which gushed forth when Musa (AS) hit his staff on a particular rock.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:12px;">iv)Yet the Bani Israel continued to complain that they want more variety in their food, and were not thankful for what they had. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:12px;">v)Because they continued to consistently disobey Allah, Allah had to raise a mountain over their heads to make them obey Him. It was the only way to make them follow Allah because they were so rebellious. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style=" ;font-size:12px;">vi)We need to learn from these stories and make sure that we are not behaving like those who angered Allah. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:12px;">May Allah (SWT) give us the tawfiq to learn lessons from these stories and help us always to strive for His pleasure. Ameen. </span></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></div></span></span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-70979451422907049582009-10-28T00:01:00.000-04:002009-11-02T13:59:26.439-05:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayah 55-57<span style="font-family:arial;">Today, we will continue on with the story of Musa (AS) and the Bani Israel. Basically, we had discussed earlier about the miracles given to Musa (AS) and his people, and afterwards how they wanted a Book so that they can be rightly guided by the Divine Law. However, even after they got the Torah, they said (as it says in ayah 55), "O Mûsa (Moses)! We shall never believe in you till we see Allâh plainly." But you were seized with a thunderbolt (lightning) while you were looking."<br /><br />So you can imagine what some of the Bani Israel were like - first, they complained to Musa (AS) that they don't have a Book to follow his religion, and they needed a Shariah. So Musa (AS) fasted, and worshipped Allah in solitude, in order to receive the Torah. Meanwhile, some of the Bani Israel began worshipping a calf while Musa (AS) was away. Then when he came with the Message, they said that they needed proof that Allah Himself wrote this, and not Musa (AS). So what happens is 70 people are chosen to go with Musa (AS), and he will talk to Allah, and they will also be there and witness that Allah is speaking to Musa (AS). So they hear Allah (SWT) speaking to Musa (AS), and then they have the audacity to say that they will never believe him until they see Allah physically before their eyes.<br /><br />So what was the response of Allah (SWT)? He just sent a lightning bolt towards them and finished them on the spot, all 70 of them. Then Musa (AS) said to Allah that He killed all these people, but all the other people of Bani Israel who are waiting for the 70 people will just think that Musa (AS) killed them because he was lying, so he asked Allah to bring them back to life. That's where we have ayah 56, "Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be grateful."<br /><br />After this, a whole separate incident is talked about, but about the same group of people, the Bani Israel. "And We shaded you with clouds and sent down on you Al-Manna [] and the quails, (saying): "Eat of the good lawful things We have provided for you," (but they rebelled). And they did not wrong Us but they wronged themselves." Now, the Bani Israel were originally from Syria, but when Yusuf (AS) came they moved to Egypt. Eventually, Pharaoh took power and oppressed them, and they ran to a place near a valley called Teeh. At this point, Allah told them to go and make Jihad in Syria to fight for their land back from a group of people who were controlling Syria called the Amalika. However, while on the way to Syria, they heard of the power and might of the Amalika and they said to Musa (AS) that there was no way they could beat these people, and decided to turn back to Egypt. As a punishment, Allah made them get stranded in Teeh, which in Arabic means "lost". Basically what happened was that everyday they would travel towards Egypt, and then sleep at night to rest. When they woke up every morning they would return to the same place they started, and this happened for 40 years.<br /><br />This valley was barren, and had no food, shelter, and they didn't have extra clothes. So the Bani Israel asked Musa (AS) to make dua to Allah to ask for these things. This ayah refers to the acceptance of the dua, where Allah gave them a cloud as a shade to protect them from the heat, and "Manna" and "Salwa" to eat. Manna is referred to as fresh fruits like honeydew...which used to come from the sky just for them, and Salwa refers to quails, which were very easy to prepare and eat for them because Allah made it extremely simple for them.<br /><br />Imam Kurtubi in his tafsir also goes one step further and explains another blessing given to the people of Bani Israel and that was clothes, which cleaned by themselves and grew with the people, such as kids. What happened then was that the Bani Israel then became tired with their blessings. They complained to Musa (AS) that they were bored of the same food everyday and the same clothes, and to make dua to Allah to give them more variety. Based on their complain, Allah removed what they already and, and said that "We have not wronged them, they have wronged themselves".<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">There are two lessons to be learnt from this ayah.<br />i) The first is based on the valley of Teeh. It shows that those people who play games, Allah causes them to be lost in the path, despite their apparent progress. In the valley of Teeh, they would go on a journey, and rest at night. In the morning they would end up in the same exact place. Our spiritual journey is called the "Sirat Ul Mustaqim", and the end is nearness to Allah (SWT). With each step, your iman increases, deepens and progresses. However, if you're not serious with the Shariah, and just get an "iman rush" once in a while but are not regular, then you end up in the same spot as you started, there's no progress. We are also caught in our own valley of Teeh.<br /><br />ii) The second is based on the part that says these people have wronged themselves. When we are in difficulty, it's because we have wronged ourselves. We create our own trials and circumstances. We, in this day and age, obviously wrong ourselves a lot more than the Sahabas. Once when a companion of the Prophet (SAW) missed Tahajjud he retraced what he did and said "Oh I might have missed it because I accidently saw the ankle of a ghayr-mahram"! Hazrat Umar (RA) said that he always figured out when he did something wrong when he got back home, and if he had some trouble with his wife then he'd know it was because of something wrong he did that day. Once we're careful about each and every thing we do, we'll be able to see that there's a direct result for every action.<br /><br />There is a hadith that says, "When you make a mistake, follow it up with a good deed". When a mistake is made, the door to the next mistake is opened, and the way to close that door is to follow it up with a good deed. We also need to remember that complaining and not thanking Allah is the way to get rid of barakah, so we need to be careful about avoiding complaining. Even if we make a mistake we should thank Allah for helping us recognize that it's a mistake. So may Allah SWT give us the tawfiq to apply this in our daily lives inshaAllah.</span>Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-31388178733353892192009-09-26T21:17:00.001-04:002009-09-26T23:03:44.976-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 49-54<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Sr69u7bR3OI/AAAAAAAAAJM/Ag5qBC-YwKs/s1600-h/redsea.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Sr69u7bR3OI/AAAAAAAAAJM/Ag5qBC-YwKs/s320/redsea.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385950818305432802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:78%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Image: Partition of the Red Sea</span></span><br /></span></div><br /><br />The verses that we will focus on today highlight the blessings that Allah had bestowed on the Bani Israel at the time of Musa (AS). "And recall when We saved you [i.e., your forefathers] from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with the worst torment, slaughtering your [newborn] sons and keeping your females alive. And in that was a great trial from your Lord".<br /><br />The people being addressed here are the people from Prophet Muhammad (SAW)'s time, but they are being reminded of the blessings given to their previous generations. If Allah had not blessed the people of Bani Israel in Musa (AS)'s time then they would not be in existence since they were all being killed. They were blessed like this due to the reason that they were in the company of Musa (AS), who is a Prophet.<br /><br />Pharaoh had put the Bani Israel through a lot of difficulties, but one of the greatest difficulties that he bestowed on the Bani Israel is that he used to kill the newborn boys born in their house, but left the females alive. Killing baby boys is brutal enough, but leaving the women alive meant that more babies were born by them, just to be killed. Apart from being so ruthless, Pharaoh was also extremely protective of his kingdom, and no one could question his authority. One day he was told of a prediction that said that there will be a boy born in the tribe of Bani Israel who will arise to threaten his power. Although the Bani Israel were already so weak compared to Pharaoh's army and they had no power compared to him, Pharaoh still decided to get all the boys that were born in their tribe slaughtered immediately after they were born. During this period, there was one baby saved by the Grace of Allah, and he turned out to be Pharaoh's own adopted son! This was Musa (AS). What happened was that when the people of Pharaoh came to kill the baby, Musa (AS)'s mother had quickly put him in the oven to hide him. Pharaoh's people couldn't find the baby and left, and Musa (AS) came out of the oven unhurt. Then Allah told the mother to put the baby in a basket and let it flow in the River Nile. Musa (AS)'s sister quietly followed the basket and saw that it had landed in Pharaoh's kingdom! Aasia (AS) asker her husband Pharaoh if she could keep the baby- she reasoned that if they raise him then he won't go against them. Pharaoh agreed, and later on the baby refused to be nursed by anyone else, and only when his mother came did he get nursed, so she got to see him everyday as well. Such are the ways of Allah.<br /><br />"And recall when We parted the sea for you and saved you and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on". When Musa (AS) grew up, he saw how Pharaoh was oppressing the people of Bani Isreal, and not liking it, he planned to escape with them, but Pharaoh's army found out. They chased the Bani Israel until they reached a dead end, in front of the sea. Allah told Musa (AS) to hit his staff on the sea and this caused the sea to part and make a pathway. Musa (AS) and his people quickly went across the sea, and as Pharaoh and his people were following behind them, Allah told the pathway to close and become a sea again. This drowned Pharaoh and his army which Musa (AS) and his people looked on.<br /><br />The scholars have said that there are so many blessings mentioned in this one ayah.<br />i) Firstly, when the Bani Israel thought that they were trapped in a dead end, with Pharaoh's people on one side and the sea on the other, they thought there was no escape. But Allah gave Musa (AS) the ability to part the sea, and the sea opened a new passageway.<br />ii) The second blessing is that all the Bani Israel survived. It could have been that Allah drowned the people of Pharaoh, and along with them the Bani Israel could also have drowned, but Allah saved every single one of them.<br />iii) Then there's the blessing of Pharaoh and his people drowning. Allah could have left Pharaoh's army on one side and the Bani Israel on the other and they would've been saved. But Allah finished the whole army off by the sea.<br />iv) And the Bani Israel looked on. Imagine the peace that would've been felt in their heart after seeing such a cruel man you killed others mercilessly, dying before their own eyes. Getting to see him die let's them know it's over now. That in itself is also a blessing.<br /><br />"And [recall] when We made an appointment with Moses for 40 nights. Then you took [for worship] the calf after him [i.e., his departure], while you were wrongdoers". After they were saved from Pharaoh, the Bani Israel went to a place which is outside of Egypt and Damascus. (Historically, the Bani Israel were originally from Syria but when Yousuf (AS) was King of Egypt they went to Egypt). When they came here they asked Musa (AS) to tell Allah to give them a Book of rules for them. They wanted guidelines in order to please Allah. They asked Musa (AS) to make dua to Allah to bestow on their community this book, and when he did then Allah told Musa (AS) to fast and worship Allah for 30 days at Mount Sinai. On the 30th day Allah gave him the Torah. The Torah and other Books were revealed all in one go, but the Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years. When the Torah was revealed, Musa (AS) broke his fast, and lost the smell of his breath which is very special to Allah (SWT). So he was told by Allah to fast for another 10 days. He did this, and it totaled to 40 days of fasting and worshiping.<br /><br />What happened during the time that Musa (AS) was in seclusion was that a man named Thamri went back to the magical place that the sea was separated and he found a particular area where he saw the imprint of the horse of Jibrael (AS). He took that sand or dust from that place, and fashioned a gold calf. He put the dust into the mouth of the calf and that calf looked magically realistic. Some of the people of Bani Israel were so mesmerized by this and thought it was a miracle and started worshiping the calf. Thamri was cursed for doing this and he had a constant fever. He had to tell people not to come near him or touch him or else they would get it too. In the end, he asked Allah for forgiveness, and Allah forgave him. This shows Allah's infinite mercy, "Then We forgave you after that so perhaps you might be grateful".<br /><br />"And [recall] when We gave Musa the Scripture and the criterion that perhaps you may be guided". These are the two blessings given to the Bani Israel. One is the Scripture, which refers to the Torah, and one is the criterion, which refers to the Furqan. This refers to the rulings of the religion or something that separates the truth from falsehood.<br /><br />When Musa (AS) came back from his 40 days of worship, he was in shock to see that some of his people were worshiping an idol. Musa (AS) made dua to Allah that He forgives the Bani Israel and not finish them off entirely. Allah said that the only way of purifying these people is that those who have wronged will have to be killed, they will then be forgiven. It used to be so difficult to seek Allah's forgiveness before, but Alhumdulillah, in our Ummah, we just have to sincerely ask for repentance and Allah (SWT) accepts it. "And [recall] when Musa said to his people, 'O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by worshiping the calf. So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves [i.e., the guilty among you]. That is the best for you in the sight of your Creator'. Then indeed, He accepted your repentance...He is the Merciful". They had committed an act which would take them straight to the Hellfire, but Allah provided a means for them to be forgiven.<br /><br />There was a Sahabi who came to the Prophet (SAW) and told him that he made a mistake, so the Prophet should punish him. The Prophet (SAW) told him to sit down. Then they had the prayer in Jamaat/congregation. After the prayer Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was leaving the masjid and the Sahabi caught up and said he needs to be punished for the mistake he made. The Prophet (SAW) said the prayer you just made wiped away your sins. So as you can see, the deen is designed to fix our mistakes.<br /><br />Such are the interesting stories in the Quran and ahadith, and inshaAllah we will continue the inspiring story of Musa (AS) in the next entry. May Allah (SWT) readily forgive our sins and save us from the punishments of the Hellfire. Ameen.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-17754462415430666872009-08-30T15:40:00.001-04:002009-08-30T15:40:50.709-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 45-48In the last couple of ayahs we had discussed, Allah tells us to seek patience and prayer. One thing to keep in mind is that today's society is designed in such a way that it pulls us away from patience or sabr since everything is supposed to be instant, due to the power of technology. We instantly get information on the click of a button off the internet, we can instantly get money from the ATM machine, we have things known as "instant coffee" and "instant noodles" in our generation. This isn't a bad thing, but we have to realize that we can't attain nearness to Allah instantaneously like we can with so many other things. Getting close to Allah requires time, consistency, sacrifice, effort and a long period of time. It's a journey. Sometimes we go to a religious talk and we feel an "iman rush" for a while, thinking our souls have been elevated instantly, then after a while we go back to our normal lives. We have to seek assistance with patience in order to be regular in our deen. <br /> <br />The next few ayahs are addressed towards the Bani Israel, who were people who deviated from the straight path, and Allah says "Remember the blessings I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds". This ayah was revealed to the Bani Israel during the time of Muhammad (SAW), although the stories mentioned are from the time of Musa (AS). This comes to show that the later generations also take part in the benefits given to the Bani Israel. It is similar in the case of Muslims - the source of benefit in our religion is Muhammad (SAW), and because of his efforts and his sacrifices, we, 1400 years later, also get to benefit from our religion. If we have concern for our future generations, we should attain closeness to Allah so that we receive His mercy and this will benefit the next generations. Our primary concern is that the deen remain within the upcoming generations. The best way to make sure Islam stays strong is by supplicating and asking for Allah's grace or "fadhl", and He, in turn, will inshaAllah not only bless the person who made dua, but also the community, and therefore, the future generations. <br /> <br />In this ayah, the Bani Israel are being challanged. They are told in a subtle manner that they shouldn't take it for granted that Allah is bestowing His mercy on them again and again. He could easily close the doors of Rahma for them, and so they should be careful. They have to be sincere, and have be careful about this as well. Just being born Muslim doesn't mean we can take going to Heaven for granted - we have to work for it.<br /> <br />There have been great historical narrations in the life of Bani Israel, and Allah (SWT) reminds them about many incidents to awaken them. Then He makes them conscious, "And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided". We live for thousands of days, but the one essential day in our life is that one Day - the Day of Judgment. In reality, all these thousands of days we're living one after another, are just days to prepare for that one day. And Allah gives us 4 charactistics of that Day:<br />i) There will be no compensation <br />ii) Intercession will not be accepted<br />iii) Ransom will not be taken<br />iv) No one will be aided exept by Allah's will.<br /><br />So basically, we are all alone. It's just us and our deeds. Even a mother will not think about her child that day. Everyone will be on their own. There are a few examples of intercession taking place on that day though...which include the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) making dua that the people with equal amount of thawab and sin go to Heaven, and an infant which died at a young age will seek intercession for its parents, as will a fetus lost in miscarriage. Also, the hufaaz who have memorized the Quran and implemented it's teachings in their lives and intercede...but it all depends on the situation and their level of piety, and only Allah knows what will happen. In these ayahs it just generally says there will be no intercession as will be the case in most situations. <br /><br />InshaAllah next time we will go through the various blessings bestowed upon the Bani Israel during Pharaoh's time.<br /><br />May Allah give us the tawfiq to remember the Day of Judgment everyday and prepare for it accordingly.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-25742430549278733982009-08-04T14:00:00.000-04:002009-08-04T14:07:04.172-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 44-46‏<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Snh4wYMExMI/AAAAAAAAAI8/JcdgVj6Nfy4/s1600-h/minara.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Snh4wYMExMI/AAAAAAAAAI8/JcdgVj6Nfy4/s320/minara.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366171728534095042" /></a><br /><br /><br />"Do you bid others to righteousness while you ignore your own selves, although you keep reciting the Book? Have you then no sense?" (Ayah 44)<br /><br />This verse teaches us about practicing what we preach. It is said that when the Prophet (SAW) went to the Mi'raj (journey of ascent), he witnessed people in Hell with their tongues being cut with scissors of fire. When he asked what their fault is, he was told that these are people who do not practice what they tell others to do themselves. In another hadith it is narrated that some people will be in Heaven because of certain people on Earth who told them to do good. But the preachers themselves will end up in Hell. Because of this, the Jannatis will ask those in Hell how they ended up there, because it was due to their teachings that these people got into Heaven. And the people in Hellfire will say that they used to preach, but they didn't practice it themselves. This elucidates the hypocrisy of the preachers.<br /><br />Because of this, one should always make an effort to practice what they tell others to do. This doesn't mean that people should just stop preaching out of fear. It is the sincere intentions and efforts which count. It is our duty to encourage others to do good and strive to do good ourselves. It is natural to make mistakes and fall into sin from time to time, but it's the repentance and motivation to improve oneself that is the key.<br /><br />The next ayah continues, "And seek assistance in sabr (patience) and in salah (prayer)". The scholars proclaim that there are 3 main types of sabr:<br />i) The patience one has while in a time of difficulty, and not complaining while in such a situation.<br />ii) The patience one has in obedience. This is when one does a good deed regularly even though it's difficult, such as praying in the masjid for Fajr consistently.<br />iii) The patience that keeps one away from avoiding bad deeds.<br /><br />The gist of all three of the sabrs is that they help you restrict the nafs, or inner desire. We each have a soul and a body. The soul is such that it loves to worship Allah, it loves to pray, read Quran, give Zakah etc. It finds peace within these things. The body is more animalistic, because it consists of the nafs or desire. Both of these together create a kind of balance in humans, but our goals, as Muslims, is to crush the nafs and follow the Deen, or our religion. This elevates one's soul, and a feeling of elevation is created in oneself such as how one feels during Ramadan.<br /><br />Sabr is practiced most while one is doing Salah. When in prayer, one has to completely restrict the body and focus the mind on Allah. This is when the soul elevates and the nafs drops. This is when the nafs realizes true pleasure and tranquility is not actually in worldly pleasures, but in remembering Allah and in prayers. This state is what we call the "nafs-ul-mutma inna".<br /><br />The next verse continues, "And it is indeed difficult (to have patience and pray properly), but not for the humble in heart who bear in mind that to Him they are to return".<br /><br />Sabr and salah lead to restfulness of the heart. Salah should have "khushu", where one concentrates fully on the prayer and not other thoughts. In a hadith, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) says that the improperly prayed salah rises up as an ugly, dark person, and says "May Allah ruin you the way you ruined me", and the salah is flung back on the person, and he gets no benefit from it. There should be tremendous fear in all of us of this and we should make an effort to attain khushu in our salah. We should remember that we will return to our Lord. This remembrance will give us khushu in our Salah, inshaAllah. Every individual should take some time out and think of their state and our connection with Allah, and spend time in His remembrance and reflection.<br /><br />May Allah make us from those who reflect on our state, and have khushu in our prayers, and find the utmost pleasure in pleasing Allah alone. Ameen.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-12519544128772922022009-07-26T13:42:00.000-04:002009-07-26T13:43:00.349-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayah 43These verses are addressed towards the People of the Book, but there is something for all of us to learn. We should reflect on where the previous communities went wrong. In the following ayahs there is a tremendous amount of advice. Allah makes 3 commands to the people: <br /><br />i) Be steadfast in Salah ( "wa aqeemus salah")<br />ii) pay the alms, give Zakat <br />iii) make Rukuh with people who make Rukuh.<br /><br />The first is to establish the Salah. Prayers are a way of lowering oneself towards Allah and praising Him. Literally, the Arabic word "aqeemus" means to straighten. So the prayers also help in straightening ones path towards Allah. We need to be very careful about all the different aspects of Salah, such as the timings, the Qiblah, our purity and the purity of the place we pray in, as well as the purity in our hearts (praying with the right intentions). <br /><br />All actions have some kind of reaction. Prayers, as well, are supposed to have effects, such as stopping one from doing sinful acts. In a hadith the Prophet (SAW) said the mi'raj (ascension) for a Mu'min is Salah. The unique experience during Salah that are present are unlike any other feeling. If one experiences this deep feeling while praying then they know they are doing it right. Otherwise, more focus is needed in the different aspects. For us non-Arab speakers, it's ideal to also learn the meanings of the various surahs and duas, so that we actually know what we are praying for, and this increases attentiveness. <br /><br />In Surah Rum, there is an ayah that says, "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts). Verily in that are Signs for those who reflect." (Ar Rum: 21) This again comes to show that all forms of worship have some kind of effect. Marriage as well can be a form of worship, and it's effect is tranquility in the heart. If this is not the case in couples then most probably the spouses are not following all of the rules of Islam in their relationship. Obviously, there are ups and downs, but marriage should lead to a general state of peace. Similarly, Salah also has some effects if we pray properly, and this will show that we are doing it the right way. Also, going to the masjid gives you many rewards if you are in a state of wudhu before going there. Every step makes you drop a sin, gain a reward, and raises your rank in Jannah. When you go to the masjid by car you should try to park your car furthest away from the entrance to get more reward for every footstep! <br /><br />The second command is to give Zakat to the needy. "Zakat" has two meanings. One is "to purify" and one it "to grow". Basically by giving Zakah to the poor and needy, we purify ourselves and our barakah or blessings grows in our own wealth. These is a means of purifying our wealth. If one finds that there is no barakah in their wealth, then there is most probably a problem with the Zakah. <br /><br />The third command is to make rukuh with those who make rukuh. In the previous Ummahs of other Prophets, the prayers did not have Rukuhs. It is just the Ummah of the Prophet (SAW). So the Bani Israel are told to join the Muslims and make Rukuh in their prayers. <br /><br />InshaAllah I will continue the rest of the ayahs shortly afterwards. I apologize for the delay in this tafsir! <br /><br />Jazak Allah Khair.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-7384226463498192852009-06-19T11:04:00.000-04:002009-06-19T11:14:45.683-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 38-42<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SjurFs0yd4I/AAAAAAAAAI0/kIkCgeiM7_M/s1600-h/ISLAMIC-ART-6-Poster-C11769031.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SjurFs0yd4I/AAAAAAAAAI0/kIkCgeiM7_M/s200/ISLAMIC-ART-6-Poster-C11769031.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349057096852862850" /></a><br />In the previous couple of ayahs, Allah (SWT) had accepted Adam (AS)’s repentance for the mistake of eating from the forbidden tree. We are all prone to making mistakes but what matters is the sincere attitude one has afterwards of trying to improve. <br /><br />We now proceed to ayah 38, “We said, ‘Go down from here, all of you. Then, should some guidance come to you from Me, those who follow My guidance shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.” Allah has promised that He will guide those on earth, and this is by means of Prophets and the Holy Books. Obviously, we have no direct contact with Prophets in this day and age, but we do have the Ulama, or the scholars. They have the knowledge, and can guide us Islamically. The way to know which kind of Ulama is right is by making sure he represents the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through his sunnah. Those who choose to follow this guidance shall not be in fear or grieve. A question that arises is how can there be no fear and grief in people? Even the Prophet (SAW) went through so much grief throughout his life. The fact of the matter is that Allah (SWT) gives difficulties to people in this life, especially those He loves, so that they become closer to Him. There are two ways one can get closer to Allah;<br /><br />i) through good deeds<br />ii) by having “sabr” or patience. <br /><br />Difficulties allow one to practice their patience. The fear and grief spoken about in this ayah refers to the fear and grief everyone will experience in the Hereafter, when they will be held accountable for their deeds. There will be so much fear in everyone who are about to get their results of getting into heaven or hell, except those who have no doubt in Allah (SWT) and follow His guidance. <br /><br />On the other hand, ayah 39 continues, “As for those people who disbelieve, and deny Our signs, they are the people of the Fire- they shall be there forever.” <br /><br />For the next dozens of ayahs, the “Bani Israel”, or the Children of Israel are addressed. These were people who spread mischief and corruption on earth. They never fulfilled their covenant with Allah. From ayahs 40-108, the crimes that they have committed are mentioned, and their charges for it. Also, Allah (SWT) talks about the consequences of those He favors and those He does not in these ayahs. After reading these instances and examples of what they did, we have to try and avoid their misdeeds, rather than just think that the ayahs are just being addressed to them and not us. <br /><br />The term “Israel” literally means “the servant of Allah”. Apart from this, it is also the second name of Yaqub (AS). There are only two prophets who have more than one name. One is Yaqub (AS) and the other is Muhammad (SAW). <br /><br />So Allah (SWT) addresses the Children of Israel, “O Children of Israel, remember My blessing that I conferred upon you, and fulfill the covenant with Me, so I fulfill you covenant, and have awe of Me alone.”<br /><br />Allah challenges these people, and He does so by some requests of them. Firstly, it is to remember the blessings He has bestowed upon them. Previously, Allah (SWT) had mentioned many of His blessings on all people. In these ayahs, however, Allah particularly reminds the Bani Israel the blessings He had bestowed on their community. The next request is to fulfill the covenant. This covenant actually refers to an agreement made by the Bani Israel previously; that they would worship Allah, follow His messengers, fast and give sadaqah. In return, Allah had promised them Jannah. But these people had forgotten any such agreement. <br /><br />The next couple of lines continue as such, “And have faith in what I have revealed, confirming what is already with you, and do not be the first to deny it, nor take a paltry price for My signs. And fear Me alone. And do not confound truth with falsehood, and do not hide the truth when you know.” <br /><br />Allah asks the Bani Israel to believe in His signs, and not deny it. This is because if they are the first to deny it then the generations following will also deny the signs, and all the sin for that will go to the ancestors. Allah also asks them not to hide the ayahs of the Quran, or His signs, for a “paltry price”, or something worthless. The Torah had verses in it that said that there are more messengers yet to come, but the scholars would hide these verses. The reason behind this is that they wanted their own fame, not someone after them. This is a very small price for hiding the truth. Allah also tells them not to hide the truth with a lie. <br /><br />Basically all of these ayahs are for the Bani Israel to believe in Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the Last Messenger, which they didn’t. They denied the fact, and hid the ayahs from the Torah which proved this. The few ayahs after this are about the advice given to the Children of Israel, which we can also take much benefit from. They will be discussed in the next entry, inshaAllah.<br /><br />May Allah give us the tawfiq to recognize His signs and may He strengthen our Iman. Ameen.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-76373738469949043392009-05-26T23:55:00.000-04:002009-05-27T00:02:04.978-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 35-37<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Shy7NWx9AMI/AAAAAAAAAIM/G3XQQHpnJR0/s1600-h/AppleTreeInBloom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Shy7NWx9AMI/AAAAAAAAAIM/G3XQQHpnJR0/s320/AppleTreeInBloom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340349096282357954" /></a><br /><br /><br />The next two ayahs depict the situation that was at hand when Allah (SWT) told Adam (AS) and his wife to enjoy all of the pleasures of Paradise, but forbade them from going near a specific tree. The Ayah is as follows, “And We said, “O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise, and eat at pleasure wherever you like, but do not go near this tree or you shall join the transgressors.”<br /><br />Even though the entire Jannah was there for the couple to enjoy, they got whisperings from Shaitaan, who made them want even more. He asked them if they knew why they weren’t allowed to have the fruits of that tree, and told them it’s because if they eat it, they will become like angels, or they will live in Jannah eternally. This comes to show the concept of wanting more, which is always present in humans. The other thing it highlights is fear of loss. If a person has happiness, then he or she tends to think about losing it as well. What is interesting in this ayah is that is says do not even approach this tree, let alone eat the fruits from it. There is a lot of wisdom in Allah’s command because He knows that if man even goes near something he is not supposed to then there’s a high risk of falling into sin. This also applies to our lives. The way we can really avoid sin is to avoid the environment of sin. For example, if you know you have a problem with backbiting, then don’t socialize with people who are into it. If you know you have a problem with lowering your gaze, then don’t go in such an environment to test yourself. <br /><br />However, the thoughts from Shaitaan caused them to slip as it says in the next ayah, “Then, Satan caused them to slip from it, and brought them out of where they had been. And We said, “Go down, you all, some of you enemies of some; and on the earth there will be for you a dwelling place and enjoyment for a time.” We have been brought down to this world for a short period of time, and we are tested through our deeds. <br /><br />We are human, and it is natural for us to make mistakes. But repentance is very important. Adam (AS) felt ashamed and begged for forgiveness and Allah accepted it. Ayah 37 says, “Then Adam learnt certain words (to pray with) from his Lord; so, Allah accepted his repentance. No doubt He is the Most-Relenting, the Very-Merciful.” There’s a discussion amongst the scholars who tried to figure out what these words were. Some say that it’s a phrase that comes in the 7th Surah of the Quran where this whole story is narrated where Allah asks Adam (AS) if He had not warned him about Shaitaan, the open enemy. That is when Adam and his wife Hawa (AS) respond with, “Oh Allah, we have wronged ourselves, and if You don’t forgive us, and have mercy upon us, we will be from among those who are the losers”. <br /><br />This passage also shows that man was originally supposed to live in Jannah. He was created for Jannah, but now has been brought down to earth for a period of time, then according to his deeds will be taken back to Jannah. Allah makes it so easy for people to enter heaven. There are numerous ways given in the Quran and Hadith:<br /><br />i)A hadith narrates that whoever recites the Kalimah with faith in it will enter Jannah<br />ii)The man who prays in Jamaat/congregation receives 27 times more sawaab<br />iii)The man who prays 2 rakah in front of the Kabah receives a hundred thousand times more reward.<br />iv)When you fast you get rewarded immensely, so much so that the ajar will be given on the Day of Judgment itself. <br />v)If you make an intention to do something good then you get rewarded just for the intention even if you don’t do the deed (it has to be a sincere intention though!). But if you make an intention to do evil you don’t get sinned until you do the deed, for which you can ask for forgiveness later on as well, sincerely. <br /><br />All of this and much more come to show the mercy of Allah, and how He wants His people to enter the gates of Jannah. Allah also makes excuses to wipe away our sins, like when we make wudhu, when we pray, fast, go for Umrah or Hajj, and so much more. This comes to show His infinite mercy on humans. <br /><br />May Allah (SWT) make us from those who obey His commands without trying to rationalize them, and may He return us to our original home, Jannah. Ameen.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-85850457102037496792009-05-12T00:13:00.000-04:002009-05-12T01:40:37.854-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 30-34<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SgkLzzYERhI/AAAAAAAAAIE/u91tQqy8khI/s1600-h/dome.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SgkLzzYERhI/AAAAAAAAAIE/u91tQqy8khI/s320/dome.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334808218189448722" /></a><br /><br /><br />The next few ayahs will highlight the nobility of mankind, and emphasize on how humans are the creations of the highest rank compared to anything else. I will copy the next 3 verses in order to understand the beginning of the story of Adam (AS). <br /><br />“And when your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to create a deputy on this earth!” they said, “Will You create there one who will spread disorder on the earth and cause bloodsheds, while we, along with Your praises, proclaim Your purity and sanctify Your name?” He (Allah SWT) said, “Certainly, I know what you do not know”. And he taught Adam the names, all of them; then presented them before the angels, and said, “Tell me their names, if you are right”. They said, “To You belongs all purity! We have no knowledge except what You have given us. Surely, You alone are the all-knowing, all-wise”. He said, “O Adam, tell them the names of all these.” When he told them their names, Allah said, “Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the skies and of the earth, and that I know what you disclose and what you have been concealing.” (Verses 30-33)<br /><br />This comes to show that Allah has given people a rank which is higher even than the angels, even though the angels continuously praise and glorify Allah, and always obey Him in the most perfect way. On the opposite extreme there is the Jinn, Shaitan, who completely disobeys Allah SWT. In between these two there are human beings. People are given a choice, whether they want to live like the angels of devil. The thing that makes humans better than the angels is knowledge. <br /><br />The next ayah continues, “And, when We said to the angels: “Prostrate before Adam!” So they prostrated, all but Iblis. He refused and joined the infidels”. Telling the angels to prostrate before Adam (AS) is to convey respect for him, and by no way means that they are worshipping him. The fact is that before Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’s time, people were allowed to prostrate before other people to show respect, like Yusuf (AS)’s family did sajdah in front of him. It is only in our ummah that prostrating to anyone besides Allah is forbidden, along with other things that were previously allowed. Examples include making pictures of living things, offering salah (prayer) at those times when then infidels used to worship their idols, or putting one hand on the other (like you do in prayer) in respect of some other person. These things have been prohibited so that there is no way that idolatry or shirk can enter into anyone’s life. In our Shariah, doors are completely closed to things that can lead to the wrong path. <br /><br />Now, Iblis was actually a jinn, not an angel. But he was so devoted to Allah and so pious that it was almost like he was from amongst the angels. However, he began to reason through the command of Allah (SWT), by saying that he will not prostrate to Adam (AS) because he was made of dirt and Iblis, like other jinns, is made of fire. So naturally, fire is stronger than dirt. Because of this, he disobeyed Allah, and immediately went from being one if His most devout worshippers to Allah’s enemy. This is all because of the pride of Iblis. His pride differentiates him from Adam (AS), who also made a mistake of eating the forbidden fruits, but later asked for Allah’s forgiveness. Iblis did not do this. In the next few ayahs we will discuss the story of Adam (AS).<br /><br />May Allah save us from pride, which caused Shaitan to receive the wrath of Allah (SWT). Ameen.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-2560839638836199912009-04-23T09:14:00.000-04:002009-04-23T09:18:59.619-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 28-29<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SfBqj4cHR1I/AAAAAAAAAH8/hx8cXFty4tU/s1600-h/Picture+name+of+Allah+in+the+sky+islam.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SfBqj4cHR1I/AAAAAAAAAH8/hx8cXFty4tU/s200/Picture+name+of+Allah+in+the+sky+islam.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327875523857565522" /></a><br /><br /><br />We can recall from the last few ayahs that Allah (SWT) gives us the fate of those who disbelieve Him (the hellfire awaits them) and those who believe Him (the Gardens of Paradise await them). <br /><br />Ayah 28 continues: “How is it that you deny Allah despite that you were lifeless and He gave you life, then He will make you die, then make you live again, and then to Him you will be returned?”<br />This highlights the phases of life a person goes through. First we didn’t used to exist, then we were born in this world, then we will die and then be raised again to face Allah. These are all blessings of Allah. There are 4 important points to note from this ayah: <br /><br />i) Allah (SWT) asks how can people disbelieve Him when He is the one who has created them. Now the Quraish, those people against Prophet Muhammad (SAW) back in his time, actually believed in Allah, but the did not want to follow the Prophet (SAW) because they said he was illiterate and the Quran had some things which they did not believe in. But Allah says how can they disbelieve Him, so this comes to show the high status of the RasulAllah. To be a Muslim you have to believe that there in no God but Allah, and Muhammad (SAW) is the final prophet. <br /><br />ii) Many stages of life have been mentioned, but one stage has not been mentioned, and that is the barzakh. The ‘barzakh’ is the period between death and resurrection. It is the time when the angels will question us about our faith, and our rewards or punishments will start from there (the grave) itself. Because this period is not a distinct entity, it does not need to be mentioned separately, but there is proof in the Quran and Hadith that it does exist. <br /><br />iii) Allah highlights why we will be raised again…we will be judged by Him.<br /><br />iv) Death is a blessing because it will lead us to our eternal life. <br /><br />Proceeding to Ayah 29: “It is He who created for you all that the earth contains; then He turned to the heavens and made them seven skies – and He is the knower of all things.”<br /><br />Everything on earth was created for our benefit. A pious Sufi Ibn ‘Ata’ says about this verse that Allah has created the earth to serve you, so that you may serve Him. Also, everything created on earth is halal unless otherwise stated haram in the Quran or Hadith. <br /><br />Allah (SWT) highlights here that He has not only created the earth, but also the skies, so that not only when you look at things on earth do you get reminded of Him, but also when you look at the sky. Every single thing on earth and beyond should remind us of the blessings and greatness of Allah. What leaves us stunned on top of this is that Allah has created this expansive universe, and He knows everything that is going on everywhere. “He is the knower of all things.” <br /><br />May Allah give us the tawfiq to realize His greatness, and may we be amongst those rewarded in the barzakh and Paradise.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-63848031502175856032009-04-10T17:18:00.000-04:002009-04-10T18:32:18.093-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 25-27<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Sd_I6oX5aRI/AAAAAAAAAHE/-1_KNzOALQE/s1600-h/fruits.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 170px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Sd_I6oX5aRI/AAAAAAAAAHE/-1_KNzOALQE/s200/fruits.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323194194170833170" /></a><br /><br /><br />In the previous two ayahs, there was a discussion on what will happen to those who deny the validity of the Quran, and on top of that fail to bring some verses which are similar to those of the Quran. This was a challenge given by Allah (to bring a Surah similar to that of the Quran). The effect of this denial is hell-fire, which is already waiting for these people. The fuel for this fire is stones and men, showing the intensity of the situation.<br /><br />Right when we are feeling fear at its peak, Allah (SWT) turns the situation around completely, and says, “And give glad tidings to those, who believe and do what is virtuous, that for them there are gardens beneath which rivers flow.” We now go to a state of pure bliss. This is going to be a reward from Allah, and we can’t even begin to imagine the possibilities because they are endless. In various ahadith, it is stated that the grains of sand at the bank of the River Kauther in Jannah will be made of pearls or jewels. <br /><br />Allah (SWT) continues, “Every time they are given a fruit from there to eat, they will say, ‘this is what we have been given before’; and they are given one resembling the other.” This is one of the characteristics of Jannah. There are two different opinions of the Ulema (scholars) on this: <br />i) When the fruits are served to those in Jannah, they will say it looks familiar to the fruits they had on earth. However, the taste will be a totally different experience because the fruits here don’t taste like the fruits in Jannah. <br />ii) The second opinion is that all the fruits in Jannah will look the same, but all of them will have a different ecstasy associated with it. Either way, the conclusion is that the fruits there will taste like no other. <br /><br />The next benefit that people will receive in Jannah are “pure spouses”. That spouse will be pure physically (no need to use the bathroom, no monthly cycle etc), and also spiritually. There will therefore be a strong connection between spouses, unlike the ups and downs between husbands and wives go through in this life. <br /><br />Then Allah (SWT) says one thing that tops it all. “And there they are eternal”. In this world, no matter what happiness you have, you always know that it is for a limited period. You can never expect it to last forever. We are just here for a short period of time to determine where we will be for eternity. <br /><br />To attain these, you need belief and good deeds. The deeds determine how long you will spend in each place. So, for example, if there is belief in Allah but more bad deeds than good, then the person will be sent to Jahannum for a time period and experience the hellfire, and then be sent to Heaven after that. <br /><br />In Jannah, it is stated in a hadith that there will only be one complaint. This is that people will look at other pious people and say that they wish that they had said one more “SubhanAllah” in this life so as to get on to a higher level in Jannah, in order to get more rewards. This comes to show how we will be accountable for everything we say and do, and will be rewarded or punished exactly according to that. <br /><br />There are two secrets that will allow us to get to a higher level of Jannah. <br />i) The first secret is in the Book of Allah. There’s a hadith that says that you should memorize verses of the Quran. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will ask the people to recite how much of it they know, and as long as they keep on reciting, the higher they will ascend. <br />ii) The second hadith is when a man comes to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and asks him when the Day of Judgment is, because that was one thing the Prophet (SAW) constantly spoke about. In reply, he (SAW) asked the man what he has done to pray for the Day of Judgment. The man replied, (in modesty) that he did nothing except that he loved Allah and the Prophet (SAW) more than anything else. The Prophet (SAW) said that that man will be next to him in Jannah because of this. This comes by following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) internally and externally. <br /><br />Allah (SWT) wants us to be in Jannah. There are so many ways to wipe away our sins…doing wudhu, praying, making dua etc, so we should make the best of this. <br /><br />The Quran continues: “Indeed, it does not embarrass Allah to use as a parable, a gnat or what exceeds it” This verse addresses the protest of the Kafirs who ask why Allah speaks of something so little as a mosquito or ant when He is so Grand. For example, in the Quran, Allah compares certain things to a fly or spider. The Kafirs were expecting more grand things and ask what kind of example is this. In actuality, Allah (SWT) shows the people that they think so greatly of themselves, but they can’t even create something as small as a fly, and neither can their idols. Allah continues, “By this (example of a fly), He lets many go astray, and by this He makes many find guidance”. <br /><br />So we wonder who those are who become misguided. The answer lies in the line, “He does not let anyone go astray thereby except those who are sinful – those who break the Covenant of Allah after it has been make binding, and cut off what Allah has commanded to be joined, and spread disorder on the earth – it is these who are the losers.” These are people who have gone beyond the limitations of Islam. The Covenant of Allah refers to a day all of humanity was raised before Allah (before we were brought down to Earth), and Allah asked everyone “Am I not your Lord?”. That day everyone agreed and made a Covenant to Allah and accepted the responsibility of Islam. The kafirs reject this covenant, and by breaking this promise to obey Allah alone, they will be punished. Apart from this, we have to follow the Rights of Allah (Huquq Allah) and the Rights of People (Huquq al Ibad). Our relationships with Allah and other people we are close with, especially our family, should be strong. If we have a weak connection with some relative, we should try to strengthen it. <br /><br />SUMMARY: <br /><br />-Allah turns the situation around from speaking of those who will dwell in the hellfire to those who will dwell in Paradise, and He speaks of the blessings they will receive there. <br /><br />-Then, Allah talks to people who question His words when He speaks of something tiny like flies. He answers them, then he elaborates on those who have become misguided. <br /><br />May Allah give us the tawfiq to be among those who are permanently given the blessings of Jannah. Ameen.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-24370164434702213512009-03-29T20:13:00.000-04:002009-03-29T20:17:24.232-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 23-24<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SdAPBCyVsvI/AAAAAAAAAG8/ahZ7LBaUkIY/s1600-h/islam_by_ChOkRi_AchRaF.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SdAPBCyVsvI/AAAAAAAAAG8/ahZ7LBaUkIY/s320/islam_by_ChOkRi_AchRaF.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767670526849778" /></a><br /><br />This part is a continuation of the last two verses, which demanded Allah’s worship alone. The following two verses indirectly demand that we accept the Messenger (SAW). This is because we received the message of the Quran through Muhammad (SAW). The Kalimah is proof that we testify that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah. <br /><br /><br />In these two ayahs, there is a focus on those people who are in doubt of what has been revealed to them, which is the Quran. The ayahs are translated as “ And if you are in doubt as to that which we have revealed to Our servant, then bring a Surah the like of this, and do call your supporters other than Allah, if you are true”. Allah (SWT) establishes that RasulAllah is bringing the message from Allah Himself. <br /><br />Each Prophet that was sent to give the message of Allah had his own miracle, and that miracle was appropriate according to their given time. For example:<br />i) Prophet Musa (AS) was given the miracle of magic, and this is because during his time, people were into magic, and that is what impressed them most. Because of this, when Musa (AS) threw his stick on the floor and it turned into a snake, the other magicians present there all went into sujood because they knew that he was no ordinary man. They were impressed by his magic.<br /><br />ii) Isa (AS) came with the miracle of curing and healing, because there was a trend of curing and medicine during his time. He could cure people by his mere touch (because Allah gave him the powers to do so), and could even make the dead become alive. This is what impressed the people most at his time.<br /><br />iii) During Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’s time, there was great emphasis on eloquence and poetry. This is what captured the hearts of Arabs at that time. This is where the challenge is coming from. Allah challenges the disbelievers to create a single Surah like that of the Quran, but no one was able to do so. <br /><br />The next ayah continues: “But if you do not-and you never shall- then guard yourselves against the fire, the fuel of which are men and stones. It has been prepared for disbelievers”. The mindset of the kafirs during that time was such that they would go to any extent, including sacrificing their lives, to destroy Islam. Because of this, Allah challenges them to disprove Muhammad (SAW). Nobody could do this. The essence of the challenge lies in the fact that the Quran is a miracle. There are different layers of miracles in the Quran:<br />i)The language and the linguistics. When Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to recite the Quran out loud in front of the public, they would just become mesmerized and enchanted by its magic.<br /> <br />ii)Even 1400 years later, the Quran is still relevant. Everything in the Quran has been scientifically proven.<br /> <br />iii)The ability of the Quran to change the hearts of people is still alive today. We ave to make an effort to take some time out to read the Quran in order to appreciate its beauty.<br /> <br />iv)The Quran is in its original form till date. <br /><br />Now we get on to the result of the disbelievers failing to prove Islam wrong. They will be thrown into the hellfire of extremely high intensity, “the fuel of which are men and stones”. When the companions of the Prophet (SAW) heard this they began to weep. They thought that they might be the ones who are the fuel for the hellfire. If that’s what such pious people thought, where does that leave us? We should beg Allah for His mercy. We should inculcate the Quran in our hearts and pass on whatever knowledge we have, because we may be questioned about that as well. <br /><br />SUMMARY:<br /><br />-Those who disbelieve in the fact that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was revealing what Allah has said, and claimed that he was making things up himself, are challenged to create a Surah similar to one in the miraculous Quran. Nobody is able to do so.<br /><br />-Those who continue disbelieving will be thrown into the hellfire, of which the fuel is men and stones. This detail is like a wake-up call for all of us and should shake us, and help us to strive to become better Muslims.<br /><br />May Allah give us the tawfiq to apply the Quran in our lives, and understand how miraculous the Quran is, and may He save us from the hellfire. Ameen.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-41079873837133394792009-03-29T19:57:00.000-04:002009-03-29T20:17:53.706-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 13-22<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SdALK8lKxAI/AAAAAAAAAG0/avbxkWbzoSk/s1600-h/quran+.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 181px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/SdALK8lKxAI/AAAAAAAAAG0/avbxkWbzoSk/s200/quran+.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318763442613175298" /></a><br /><br />Ayahs 13-20 are missing from Sheikh Husain’s lectures and are also not given in detail from the book I am reading, so I can only summarize it briefly, but not give the tafsir, unfortunately. Ayahs 21-22 are described in detail though. <br /><br />We had previously talked about the munafiqeen, or the hypocrites, who claim to be on the side of Muslims, but actually are not. They left their iman or faith for this petty world. Allah (SWT) says about them, “These are the people who have bought error at the price of guidance; so their trade has brought no gain, nor have they found guidance”. They were so into this world that they gave up something as priceless and invaluable as Islam for something as worthless as kufr, just to get benefit in worldly things. When with Muslims they pretend to be Muslims to be popular amongst them and when with non-Muslims they claim to be on their side. <br /><br />To quote from the book, “the last four verses bring out the miserable plight of the hypocrites with the help of two extended similes”. Basically there are two different kinds of hypocrites:<br />i)The hypocrite who has little interest in Islam but pretends to be Muslim for worldly motives. He is described as a man who has found light, then again loses it, leaving him in darkness.<br /> <br />ii)There are also those who did recognize the truth of Islam and sometimes wished to be genuine Muslims, but got caught up in worldly interests and were left in a state of hesitation and doubt. They have been likened to the men who are caught in a thunderstorm and move forward a couple of steps only when there is a flash of lightening, but when this light is over they get stuck again. <br /><br />These hypocrites have been warned that Allah’s power goes beyond theirs, and if Allah wished, He could take away their sight and hearing, and even destroy them. <br /><br />Verse 21: “Oh all of mankind, worship your Lord”: All 3 groups are grouped together in one category and are told to worship Allah. The believers, the disbelievers and the hypocrites are addressed. The people who already worship Allah should stay steadfast in their beliefs and acts. Those who do not believe in Him should change their direction towards Islam and believe in Allah. Finally, the munafiqeen or the hypocrites should become straight and sincere in their path of worship. The command in this verse applies to all three groups in their own ways. It shows all of mankind has One Lord. <br /><br />“(Allah) has created you and the people before you. (Worship Him) so that you may attain taqwa”. Why should you worship Allah? To have taqwa or God-consciousness. That is the reason why we were created. If read in Arabic, this sentence indicates a sense of hope. It is only through Allah’s mercy that our deeds will be accepted. He is reminding us that He created us out of nothing. He gave us so many blessings, and all He asks for in return is for us to worship Him. Allah is the only one who has infinite mercy. No parent, child, spouse, friend etc can have as much mercy as Allah. A person can be denying the favors of Allah all their lives and leading a life of sin but all he/she has to do is repent sincerely and all their sins are wiped away. In the Quran, Allah (SWT) continually reminds us of His blessings over and over again until we figure it out. <br /><br />“… Who has created the earth as a bed for you and the sky a roof”. There is perfection in the firmness of earth, and the sky is also a blessing from Allah. All 3 of these things are signs of Allah’s greatness: us being created, the earth, and the sky. The fact that all these interact together is yet another sign of Allah. This dynamic interaction occurs when water falls from the sky onto the earth, allowing fruits to grow so that we may consume it, as it says in the continuation of the verse: “…and sent down water from the sky, then through it brought forth, out of all fruits, provision for you. So do not set up parallels to Allah when you know”. SubhanAllah. All of this was created for us, and all we need to do in return is worship Allah. And even that is for us! What an imbalanced equation. <br /><br />Associating partners with Allah does not only refer to idols etc. It can also be things from our everyday lives, like work and family. Anything which we should be giving as much care towards as Allah almost becomes like worshipping it. For example, if your wife tells you to buy a big house which would require you to pay interest, then that goes over the barrier of Shariah, and that is like creating partners with Allah. Allah (SWT) gently explains to us that we shouldn’t make anyone partners with Him. <br /><br />SUMMARY<br /><br />The purpose of these ayahs is to show that: <br /><br />i) All 3 groups (muttaqin, kuffar and munafiqeen) are called upon to worship Allah alone<br />ii) We are all dependant on Allah and His mercies. <br /><br />May Allah give us the tawfiq to appreciate His blessings and acknowledge them, and guide others to do so as well.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-52458039279449016462009-03-29T19:25:00.000-04:002009-08-13T15:52:12.502-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 6-12<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd268/CherryTreeBlossoms/ThereisnogodbutAllah.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd268/CherryTreeBlossoms/ThereisnogodbutAllah.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />In the first 20 verses or the Surah, Allah is classifying mankind. There are two main classifications: <br /><br />i) Muttaqin (Verses 1-5), people who believe in Allah. We are told in Ayah 5 that "It is these who are on guidance given by their Lord; and it is just these who are successful". <br /><br />ii) People who deny Allah<br /> -Verses 6-7 = Kuffar<br /> -Verses 8-20= Munafiqin: hypocrites<br /><br />Allah created animate objects and inanimate objects. We are blessed to be the most noble of all of creation. He granted us intellect, tawfiq, and ability. <br /><br />We could easily have been created as disbelievers. It's His infinte Mercy that we were born into a muslim home. <br /><br />People are followers of different prophets. The most blessed state is to be a part of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) Ummah, of which we are a part of. Look at the Mercy Allah has bestowed upon us. We should therefore submit to the Will of Allah and follow the Shariah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW). We should reflect what we are doing with our time. These abilities of intellect, wealth, health etc are given to us with a sense of responsibility, and we will be asked about them on the Day of Judgement. If we can make so many sacrifices for our education, our loved ones, our desires etc, then what about the sacrifices we should be making for the sake of Islam? <br /><br />Kuffar: Openly reject Allah and His signs. 2 verses about them. Simplistic and to the point. "Surely for those who have disbelieved, it is all the same whether you warn them or you warn them not: they would not believe". <br /><br />This verse is directed towards Allah's Messenger (SAW). The word "kfr" in Arabic means to hide or to conceal something. It's often used for people who conceal or hide the blessings of Allah. In this context, they reject the message of Allah. They openly and clearly disobey. What RasulAllah (SAW) used to do was warn the people, and he did this out of compassion, love and concern, it was not some kind of threat. Allah is not saying don't warn them, because there is still reward for warning them with that deep love in our hearts. Even if there seems to be no hope of them changing. The thing is, we should love the kaafir, but it is the KUFR (the act of disbelieving in Allah's Oneness) that we should deeply dislike. We should never believe that we are better than a disbeliever because that person has the potential to take shahadah and become a better Muslim than us. Giving them dawah gives us reward, whether they change or not, but there's always a small chance that the MIGHT change. <br /><br />So what characteristic is there in the kuffar that makes them not even listen to the Messenger of Allah (SAW)? Allah explains it. "Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes there is a covering; and for them there lies a mighty punishment". A discussion raised with this ayah is how can they be blamed if Allah has sealed their hearts? The answer is in another ayah "Verily rust has come upon their hearts because of what they used to do". It is their own deeds which caused that seal. A hadith says when a person sins a black dot comes on their heart, as many times as they sin. Eventually their whole heart becomes darkened. There's no more hope. It's an "End stage disease". That's when the heart is sealed. The treatment before it is completely sealed is by remembrance and dhikr of Allah, this wipes away the impurities of the heart. Now that we know that the heart can be sealed, we should avoid doing bad deeds which leads to kufr. <br /><br />i) Avoid sin<br />ii) If it's done, wipe away the black spot on the heart by seeking forgiveness from Allah.<br />iii) Follow it up with a good deed. Knock off a bad deed with a good deed. <br /><br />Once you start sinning it becomes a slippery slope. Lying once leads to more lies, doing<br />salah quickly, looking at bad scenes on the TV or internet doesn't become a big deal after a while, etc. So we have to be very careful. Start hanging out with good company to make it easier. <br /><br />Allah talks of the sealing of different organs: Allah has sealed their hearts and hearing and veiled their visions. Vision is very limited, so only veiling the front part is sufficient. One can protect their vision by lowering their gaze. Avoiding hearing is more difficult, because you need to avoid the environment where bad things are being heard. Our heart gets imprinted by these means; i.e. the 5 senses. Sinning may appear to be enjoyable, but they can never bring true peace of heart. Only remembrance of Allah brings that. The reason the kafirs were mentioned in these ayahs even though they will most likely not read the Quran is so that we remember to <br />i) warn them with love, which is a rewarded though not always fruitful act<br />ii)look at the state of their disease and try to avoid it. <br /><br />Verses 8-20: Hypocrites (Munafiqin) and their deeds. They are an in-between group of people. Their deeds talked about in detail. "And from the people those who say 'we believe in Allah and we believe in the Hereafter but they are not believers". There are two kinds of hypocrites:<br />i)Those who think they are believers, but don't act accordingly<br />ii)Those who purposely deceive others into thinking that they believe but they don't.<br /><br />"They seek to deceive Allah and they seek to deceive those who believe in Allah, but the truth is that they deceive no one but themselves, but they perceive not." Obviously it is impossible to deceive Allah, but by trying to deceive the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), they reflect their relationship with Allah (SWT). <br /><br />"In their hearts is a disease". This is different from the way the kafirs were described (hearts are sealed compared to heart has a disease). There's still hope for treatment, although there's a chance for it to progress to the end-stage. It's a life time process. <br /><br />"so Allah has increased their disease": The hypocrites used to enjoy watching Muslims fail.Allah increases the cause of the burning in their heart by giving the Muslims victory. The hearts of those who do not repent are also sealed, and this is another way the disease increases. <br /><br />"For them is a painful punishment because of the lies they used to tell": The purpose of these ayahs is not for us to point and people and say he is a munafiq, but for us to takea lesson from these people. <br /><br />The cause of their disease is the LIES they used to tell. Allah chose this one characteristic to describe them. Avoiding lying will protect us from a tremendous amount of sin. <br /><br />"And when it said to them 'do not create corruption in this world' they say 'we are but reformers'. Verily it is they who are the corrupters, but they do not perceive". This is similar to the case these days, where the West had this "War on Terrorism" to obtain peace, but in reality, they are oppressing and killing innocent people and destroying land. This is hypocrisy. As Muslims, we should stand up for justice and this would be a form of dawah.<br /><br />SUMMARY:<br /><br />In Surah Fatiha we made a dua to Allah to guide us to the straight path, the path of those who You have bestowed Your Mercy, not to the path of those who have incurred wrath or been misguided. Surah Al Baqarah's first 20 lines define what the charactersitics of these three groups of people are. <br /><br />i)muttaqin, the believers we should be like<br />ii)kuffar, the disbelievers<br />iii)munafiq, the hypocrites.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3441901349337746718.post-89063006996457172732009-03-29T17:51:00.000-04:002009-03-29T17:55:32.118-04:00Surah Al Baqarah Ayahs 1-5<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Sc_uTiGZ_3I/AAAAAAAAAGs/3h_fC399NKE/s1600-h/al+baqarah.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6jq76W5rreI/Sc_uTiGZ_3I/AAAAAAAAAGs/3h_fC399NKE/s320/al+baqarah.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318731704286445426" /></a><br /><br /><br />Title is translated as "The Cow". Famous incident that occurs within Surah. People of Bani Israel were challenged by Allah to sacrifice a cow. Allah relates the whole story of the back and forth between Musa (AS) and the people. They thought Musa (AS) was joking when he told them to sacrifice a cow. They ask about different aspects, of animal they ask more and more unnecessary details. In the end they sacrificed the cow, but it was almost like they didn't sacrifice it. <br /><br /><br />Madani surah (i.e. after hijrah). Irrespective of fact that it could have been revealed in Makkah. <br /><br />Occured over an extensive period of time, longest surah.<br /><br />Last ayah ever revealed also in this surah "Be conscious of the day you will be raised before Allah (SWT)"<br /><br />Surah Al Baqarah: gist of Holy Quran.<br /><br />Shaitan stays away from house of person who recites Surah Al Baqarah. Misfortunate to not recite it. Powerful means of protecting. <br /><br />Shaitan knows reality of world. He steals your iman and time, not other goods. Protect yourself from him. <br /><br />Alif Lam Mim: unanimous opinion of scholars: no one but Allah knows what they mean. Prophets may have known, we don't know. Every single letters of the holy Quran gives you 10 rewards. Example = Alif Lam Mim. 3 individual huroofs. Nobody knows what it means. Therefore even if one doesn't know Arabic, you get rewarded for reciting the Quran though you don't know Arabic. Know tajweed to beautify the Quran. <br /><br />"That is the Book, there is no doubt in it, it guides the people":<br />Don't question the Book. There is no doubt in it. Prerequisite on the reader: one simple characteristic: be Muttaqin, have taqwa or God-consciousness. Hazrat Umar (RA) once said that taqwa is like when you walk through thorns...the way you protect your clothes from the thorns is how you should protect yourself from the duniya. The clothes are your taqwa and the thorns are the duniya. The number one issue a person should look into before reading the Quran is their level of taqwa. Why is the word "that" used for the Quran though? Why not "this", even though it's in my hand? Ullema said (i) this is the answer to the dua from Surah Al Fatiha. That is the book that will guide you to the straight path. (ii) the book itself can be with you, but the respect that comes with the Book is so high that it is in fact far away from anything else in creation. Above and beyond anything, therefore it's far from us in that sense. <br /><br />People of taqwa= <br />(i) "those who believe in the Unseen". I.e. Allah (SWT).We have Signs of Allah in this world, but not proof of Allah. So He is Iman bil Ghayb. Therefore the answers of what He is like is in Quran or through prophets. <br /><br />(ii) "they establish salah", that person will take benefit from the Book. It's not just praying, it's establishing. That's deeper. Also straightening salah. Fulfill faraidh/nawafil of salah, avoid makrooha. Ask someone who knows how to pray properly (Ulema). <br /><br />(iii) "They spend what Allah has bestowed upon them": Zakah (mandatory). Spend from that thing which is most beloved to you to get closer to Allah. We're actually putting the wealth Allah gave us to the place it belongs. It is not a greatness from us, it is just an Amanah from Allah. It's our responsibility to give that money in Sadaqah. And then Allah rewards you for that. It's His Mercy. <br /><br />"Those who believe in that which was revealed upon you (SAW)and what was revealed before you": believe in the transmission and in all 4 books. This is the final Book and Prophet. This is the end revelation. It says everything in Quran and hadith. First 3 books were altered.<br />They have a basis from Allah though. Thus they are People of the Book (Jews and Christians). <br /><br />The main thing a muslim needs is the Kalima. That will take even the worst charactered Muslims into heaven eventually, but the best kafirs will not be able to enter Jannah because of this one Kalimah (if they know about Islam and reject it). We have been commanded to spread the Truth. <br /><br />"And in the Akhira they are certain": people have to believe in Akhira with such certainty as if they say it. <br /><br />SUMMARY: <br /><br />We need to have the following characteristics in order to benefit from the Quran:<br /><br />-be al Mutaqqin by<br /> (i) believing in the Unseen<br /> (ii) establishing and straightening the Salah<br /> (iii) spending from that that Allah has given us<br />-believe in what was revealed to us (by Prophet Muhammad SAW) and believing<br /> what was revealed before him (to other prophets). <br />-be 100% certain in Al Akhirah. Nothing else should be treated with that certainty.Seher | Simply in Controlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09419694199901685481noreply@blogger.com0